Nowhere But Lost
by Zenkindoflove
Summary: Hyde is cynical, depressed, alone, and would really like to keep it that way. But what happens when something inside of him resurfaces and is more than unhappy about his current living arrangements? JH, ED COMPLETE!
1. Ch 1: When the World Turns Black

**AN: **Here's my new story that I started on immediately when I finished Come Clarity. It's been on my mind for a while, and I'm pretty sure I'll finish this one too. Actually having an ending helps with that kind of thing, ;). This is of course a JH fic, but I've found a way to put some ED in here too. I've always felt that their relationship focused too much on the little things and they never moved forward. Well, in this fic I have found a way to push them forward. So to any ED out there, I have some stuff for you too. But the meat and bones of this story is completely JH.

**Summary: **Hyde is cynical, depressed, alone, and would really like to keep it that way. But how will he feel when something inside of him breaks through that is more than unhappy with his living arrangements? JH

**Disclaimer: **I own none of the characters featured in this fic from That 70's Show. Sadly, my creativity only extends to them, so I'm a poor writer.

* * *

Chapter 1: When the World Turns Black

Eric and Donna looked through the UW brochures they picked up on their visit to the campus just the day before. It had been the second time for both of them to look at these together, and for Donna, the uneasy feeling of déjà vu settled in the pit of her stomach. It made her remember the last time they did this together, right after Red's heart attack. They had their entire lives ahead of them, and they were certain they would spend it together. Now, Donna wasn't as certain as she was back then. Back then she was positive that she would go to college and be an independent woman who was happy because she made her own living by her own rules. However, like her foremothers before her, she clung to the dependency of a man and stayed home with Eric. Now, a year and a half had passed them by and Donna was in the same position as she was then. Staying with Eric didn't take her to the road of happiness. In fact, Donna had never been more miserable. When Eric didn't show up for their wedding, Donna was crushed, but her mom convinced her to take him back just because she loved him. They lived in an ignorantly blissful existence, never moving forward, but at least they weren't moving forward together. Then, Eric went to Africa to make something of himself, leaving Donna to live with the stagnant life that she had made for herself.

Bitter was an attitude Donna learned to live in harmony with. It had treated her well over the months Eric was gone, and in the few weeks he had been back, it had help keep her perspective of him in check. They were "back together", but Donna wasn't taking any chances this time. She had become the girl that allowed the man she was in love with to walk all over her and take her love for granted. She loathed that girl. What really sent her into the stratosphere though was the sorry excuse of an apology that Eric gave to her when he came back. However, she accepted it without an inhibiting thought in her head. She buckled after she promised herself she wouldn't just because she missed him so damn much. That was really what made it hard for Donna to sleep at night. She couldn't help but think that she was making a huge mistake again, and she'd certainly regret it later on. Being jaded was something she just had to live with.

Donna sat grumpily in her chair as she only half listened to Eric ramble on and make corny jokes about starting UW in the fall. His life was following a plan he figured out and set in motion. What was Donna doing? Following in his footsteps. Funny how their roles switched without her even noticing.

Kitty and Red Foreman walked into the kitchen through the sliding door, noticing the two looking through brochures together.

"What are you two lovebirds doing?" Kitty asked as she grinned down at their activities.

"Looking at different majors and financial aid stuff at UW. We're going to start classes in the fall." Eric grinned up at her and continued with his reading.

Kitty frowned slightly at his answer while Red looked on with a prideful smile. He was proud of how different his son was now that he returned from Africa. He was actually starting to take charge of his life, and he had a noticeable confidence boost. Eric reminded him a lot of himself when he returned from the Korean War, and Red was so proud that his son found direction in his life in order to succeed. Kitty was happy about all those things as well, but she wouldn't deny that she didn't feel sad that her baby boy just returned from months living on a continent on the other side of the world, just to begin planning on leaving the nest again.

"So, you're going to college, eh?" Red said with a very uncharacteristic Red smile.

"Yeah, Dad." Eric gave him a strange look. "I'm leaving the house again, which I'm sure you'll like."

"Oh, you can stay as long as you need."

Everyone in the room stopped and turned to face Red. They looked at him as if he had grown a second head that was gnawing off his face first face.

"Dad," Eric cautiously asked, testing the waters of this new Red that had taken over his father's body. "Are you feeling okay? You just said that I could stay in _your_ house." Everyone continued to stare at Red, waiting for his reaction. Once he didn't reply, Eric tried to jog his memory. "Remember… I'm a dumbass. I annoy you and you're tired of all my dumbass friends running around here."

Red placed his hand on Eric's shoulder and looked down at his son. "Look son. I'm proud of you, and I know now that you actually have your head screwed on when it comes to your future. Going to Africa was probably the best thing you ever did."

A little sob sounded from Kitty who was pulling food out to make dinner. Everyone turned to look at her, and she just greeted them with a false smile.

"Are you okay, Mom?"

Kitty let out her trademark laugh, "Oh, sweetie. I'm fine. It's just…. OH who am I kidding?" Her face instantly turned sour. "You just got back Eric! You were gone for months and now you want to leave again!"

Kitty stormed out of the kitchen with Eric trailing after her. Red just looked on and shook his head at his wife's outburst. He turned his eyes to Donna who he noticed hadn't smiled once since he had returned home when he found her and Eric in the kitchen. He could tell something was very wrong. He watched her as she released a huge sigh that she had been holding in her chest and gathered up the brochures cluttered over the table. Without even saying goodbye, she left the kitchen, making her way down the basement. Red might have been proud of Eric for turning his life around as far as his future with a career was concerned, but he really messed up when it came to the girl the loved. He just hoped one of them figured something out soon.

* * *

Hyde sat in the far right of the sofa, engorging himself on bad TV and junk food on his day off from Grooves. When he wasn't working, he tried his best to keep his activities as minimal as possible. With Foreman home from Africa, he had put a stint in Hyde's usual lethargic pace. He was getting very nostalgic of the old times once he realized just how different things were from when he left, and it seemed like every night Eric was trying to get them to go out and do things just like they used to do. For a while, they catered to his offerings. They went to the Hub for a week straight and even saw a movie together, but after a while, everyone began making excuses of why they couldn't go, and finally Eric caught on to the loss everyone suffered. He stopped encouraging the get-togethers, and the rest fell back into their normal routines they had come accustomed to while he was away. Hyde's typical schedule consisted of sleeping in until noon, watching TV until his eyes burned, and then getting wasted until he passed out in his bed too sleep his drunken state off.

Hyde's sluggish trance was broken by angry footsteps pounding their way down the basement stairs. He turned his head only slightly to look over his right shoulder to see that it was Donna making all the commotion. He grunted a hello to her as she took a seat next to him on the couch, throwing the brochures she had in her hands down on the table.

"What crawled up your ass?" Hyde asked after a few moments of her huffing and puffing silently on her square of the couch. He really didn't want whatever bitch fit she was throwing to disturb him.

"Nothing, Hyde. Just mind your own damn business and go get drunk like you usually do." Donna snapped, keeping her eyes glued to the television set that she wasn't even watching.

Hyde turned his head and glared at the blonde next to him. However, he held his tongue from the insult he wanted to throw at her. He didn't have the energy to fight with her.

"Look, Donna. Don't take whatever stupid fight you got into with Foreman out on me, okay? I don't have time for your crap."

"I know you don't what with all the drinking you have to get done." Donna snarled. "Don't let me interrupt the next binge you're preparing for."

Hyde turned his body to face Donna as he rested one arm on the arm rest and the other on the back of the couch. "If you have a problem with me Donna, why don't you just spit it out instead of slapping backhanded comments at me."

Donna turned her head to face him, and through his sunglasses, Hyde saw the red in her eyes. He had never seen her this angry before. The hairs on his arms stood up straight as he prepared for the wrath he was certain she would unleash on him.

"Yeah, I have a problem with you, _Hyde._" Her voice shook with the anger she had bottled up for so long. "I think it's ridiculous that you sit up on this high horse all the time as if you are better than everyone else, when really you are just white trash like your parents."

Hyde just stared menacingly at her as he tried his best to keep his zen and not lash out at her. He didn't know why though, because the bitch deserved it. Really, he just didn't know how to respond to the boulder she just threw at him. He was stuck, so he did the thing he did best when handling a difficult situation.

"Fuck you, Donna." He pushed himself off the couch and grabbed his keys off the record player on his way out.

Once Donna heard the slam of the basement door, she toppled over on the worn couch, sobbing uncontrollably. She wasn't even sure why she just said all those things to him, but she couldn't do a thing to stop it once she started. She just told her best friend the thing she knew would hurt the worst. The saddest thing about it all was that she really believed it to be true. Just like her, Hyde had spiraled down into a place he never wanted to be in, and Donna rubbed it in his face. She wasn't even angry with him to begin with. He just happened to be there when the shit hit the fan for her.

Bitter wasn't such a nice shade of protection after all.

* * *

Fez snuck his way into Jackie's room where he found his goddess of a girlfriend primping herself in her vanity mirror. He caught her eye in the reflection and shined a smile at her that he hoped would make her heart melt. Jackie turned around to face him, satisfied that she was now pretty enough to go with whatever surprise Fez claimed he had in store for her. She hoped it was an expensive present like jewelry. Jackie looked down to a large folded sheet of paper that Fez was holding in his hands.

"Is that my present, Fezzie?" Jackie questioned, trying her best to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Yes, Jackie." Fez nervously looked at the banner he had gripped in his hand. He loosened his hold so that he wouldn't crinkle his road to winning over Jackie's heart along with her body.

"I figured that since my previous attempts at trying to seduce you have just disgusted you…"

"Fez," Jackie interrupted. "They didn't _disgust_ me."

"To be fair Jackie, you did say 'ew' once."

Jackie looked down at her pink toes squished together in her clogs. She had hoped he just didn't hear her when she said that.

"So I figured that I just wasn't giving you exactly what you wanted." Fez presented the banner by laying it on Jackie's bed. Jackie gazed at the cursive writing that spelled out, "Jackie and Fez Forever". It was all different shades of pink and laminated. It was more amazing than the banner she had planned for her and Michael, and it took her breath away. However, even this grand gesture by Fez that Jackie thought was his quality that made him the perfect boyfriend still didn't sway her decisions that she just couldn't sleep with him.

"It's really beautiful Fez, but…"

Fez blew out a defeated sigh and he folded the banner back up. "But what, Jackie?"

He watched as her bottom lip quivered, trying to find the words to reject him once again. Living with her had made Fez a master when it came to Jackie's body language. He had seen this look many times in the first few months after she moved in when she came back to Point Place to find that her previous boyfriend had married a stripper. He knew she was trying her best not to cry.

"I just can't, Fez."

Fez might have been one of the biggest pervs in Point Place, but he knew whenever his lady needed him. Sadly for him, she just didn't need him in the way he needed her. Fez made his way over to the corner of the bed that was next to the chair Jackie was sitting in. He sat directly in front of her and took her slender hands into his.

"Jackie. It's okay. You can just say it. Neither of us has to pretend anymore."

Jackie looked up at him in surprise but instantly found comfort in the warmth in his eyes. Even during this very sentimental moment between the two, Jackie just couldn't configure her strong feelings to be equal to the love she once used to feel so strongly.

"I'm sorry, Fez." She squeaked out. Her tears began to spill over the rims of her eyes. "I just don't feel comfortable in doing this."

Fez squeezed her hands within his, telling her that it was okay.

"I think that maybe, you and I are just better at being friends than lovers."

Fez nodded his head knowingly. Her confession didn't even come as a surprise to him.

"It's okay, Jackie." Fez replied. Jackie noticed that his voice didn't sound a bit angry like she expected. He just sounded disappointed. She wasn't sure if that was worse or not. All she knew was that she felt guilty as hell.

"I knew that this just wouldn't last between us. It was fun while it did though."

Jackie smiled up at him through her remorseful tears. Always count on Fez for trying to make the best out of a bad situation.

"Besides, we don't talk like we used to. Now that I'm your boyfriend, I feel awkward if I try to have girl talk with you."

Jackie giggled and pulled one of her hands from his grip to wipe her tears away. "So you're okay with us just being friends."

Fez shook his head in agreement. "Yes. It would be amazing to be with you, but I know that just won't happen. I'd rather be your friend than nothing at all."

Jackie felt that she must have been the luckiest girl in the world to have a best friend like Fez. She royally screwed him over, and he wasn't even saying one cruel or heartless thing to her. Why couldn't he be the one she loved? She tried so hard to make it so, but she soon realized that she just couldn't force her heart to do exactly what she wanted it to. Love was funny and painful that way.

* * *

Hyde stumbled his way to the El Camino from the bar. After his fight with Donna, he headed straight to Mike's Tavern, a bar that he had spent many a\ nights getting drunk in. He knew the bartender by his first name and many of the other regulars' too. Tonight, he barely conversed with his other alcoholic friends. He was too busy trying to drink his anger away. He couldn't understand the audacity of Donna. She was unusually snippy since Foreman's return, but she never just blew up on someone like that. It was common for her to turn to physical abuse to get her point across, but to just insult him as if he was the one that left her for Africa?

Hyde could care less at the moment though. Alcohol was a nice get away for him. Sure, it got him in a lot of trouble and made him make the biggest mistake of his life, but generally it helped him out. Like tonight. He no longer had any loyalties. There was no way he could get in trouble.

Hyde fumbled with the keys, trying his best to determine which one would open his car door. After many tired attempts, he finally managed to find the right one and he got inside, the slam of the door whipping through the crisp night air.

As he drove down the black asphalt of Point Place, his drunken brain clouded with chatter. It never really occurred to him until tonight just how much like Bud he had become. He might not have been his real father, but the effect his absence had on his him was more powerful than anything he learned from WB. That night he had chased every thought of how true Donna's words were with the cheap beer he had been guzzling. He really _was_ white trash, and what stung the most was he dug himself in a place where turning around would just prove how right her accusation was, and Hyde hated to be wrong.

Most would say it was the alcohol, but later, when Hyde actually remembered, he'd say it was his complete disconnect with reality on a level beyond sobriety. At that moment, Hyde's trip down the empty highway of his little town took a sharp turn into the woods and straight into a tree. Hyde's world, as he knew it, turned black.

* * *

**AN2: **Expect another update in the next few days. Summer is nice for fanfic writers you know. 


	2. Ch 2: Light at the End of the Tunnel

**AN: **The reviews for last chapter were awesome, and I'm really excited about the response I received from you guys. Hopefully you guys like this story well enough. Reviews are the best thing ever. There's a bit of a twist in this chapter and I would love to know what you think!

* * *

Chapter 2: Light at the End of the Tunnel

It might have been a slow night for the staff at Point Place Medical Clinic, but the six visitors impatiently waiting in the waiting room would have told any outsider that something big was going on. Someone they loved dearly was in trouble, and they still had no idea what kind of injuries he had. All they were told was that he was stable. Stable was such a cynical word when the life of a person was on the line. Stable could mean anything.

Kitty and Red Foreman held each other's hands as they sat still in the waiting room chairs. They were trying their best to be strong for their many children in the room, but it was hard when one of them had just been in a car accident. So many things were blazing through Kitty's mind as she thought of different scenarios of car crash victims from her entire nursing experience. The range however, didn't ease her worries one bit. It only made the possibilities of what could be just that much more real for her. She held in her soft sobs as she squeezed her husband's hand for comfort. Luckily for her, Red Foreman knew exactly when and how to comfort his wife. He, too, was worrying himself sick, but for her sake, he had to keep a strong composure. He was her protector, and in situations such as these, he had to make sure that Kitty wouldn't fall all over the place. It was hard though. He always saw Steven differently than he saw any of Eric's other friends. Steven was just like him in so many ways, but he let his anger control him in a way that Red never had to experience. His role as a father might have been to make sure Eric turned out alright, but he had an even more important duty when it came to his son's curly haired friend. Eric had a decent childhood, and even though Red weared it away sometimes, he had a confidence that assured he would make something of himself in this world. Steven, however, never had positive male role models or a single person tell him he could make it. Red had to make sure he did.

That's why it was so important for him to stay alive. If he didn't, then Red had failed him.

The younger members were having a completely different struggle on their hands. They didn't have to worry about losing a man that they saw as their son, but losing a man who had always been by their side. Now where were they as he struggled to keep living in a world that wasn't worth living as much as they once thought it was? Each one of them wanted more than anything to march into whatever emergency or operating room he happened to be in and let him know that they were there for him, just hoping that he'd stay for one last chance to make everything right with them again.

Fez stared at the clock on the wall, watching the seconds tick by so slowly. All these months, he had tried his best to understand Hyde and why he broke the heart of the only girl he ever loved. In Fez's opinion, Hyde was probably the noblest person he had ever met, but his image of his best friend came crashing to the ground once he chose to stay with Sam. He had to pick up those pieces with calming a hysterical Jackie. It wasn't exactly the best way to reconstruct the picture of his friend, and it definitely took a toll on their friendship. But not a single ill feeling even mattered anymore. All that mattered was Hyde being okay.

Eric tapped his foot nervously on the tile floor. It wasn't loud enough to annoy the others, but who really knew if even that was true. They could have all been as lost in their minds as Eric was to even notice his tapping. Eric kept repeating over and over in his head that whenever he saw Hyde next, and he wasn't going to let himself believe that he wouldn't, that he would look him straight in his eyes and call him his brother. However, even this self determined hold over didn't stop the guilt from worming its way into Eric's gut. The Hyde that he left in Point Place was so different from the one he met once he returned. Eric kept thinking to himself just how different things could have been for everyone if he stayed, but especially, how different things could have been for Hyde. Eric knew he would have talked Hyde out of staying with his "wife" that he brought home. He would have told Hyde the exact same thing he told him just a few months before the marriage when he and Jackie broke up. Hyde was actually happy when he was with Jackie. Eric knew what it was like to be in love and just how much of himself and his happiness depended on Donna. It was no wonder that Hyde had become so angry and distant.

Eric turned his head too look at his girlfriend who was chewing on her fingernails. Even though there was a change in attitude in everybody, Donna's was probably the most shocking of all. She barely cuddled with him anymore, and whenever they did try to get intimate, it was like she was performing a routine. Her distance was painful, and he wanted nothing more than for them to hold one another to ease each other's sorrows. Worrying about him and Donna was not what was important though. So, Eric once again turned away from her and continued to struggle with his guilt.

Guilt didn't even come close to describe the pain that was driving Donna insane. The only thing she could even think of was the last words that she had said to Hyde that day. There was so much malice and hate in every single syllable that she spit out to him. She wasn't even sure where it all came from. She had been cool with Hyde this entire time, but something inside of her just snapped. Maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time when it came to her temper. However, that didn't make Donna feel an ounce better; in fact, it made her feel worse. She didn't want something so cruel and careless to be the last words she ever spoke to her best friend.

Since the moment that she entered the emergency room, Jackie hadn't taken her eyes off the swinging double doors leading to where the patients were. When Donna called her apartment to tell her and Fez to get their asses to the hospital because Hyde was in an accident, every happy feeling inside of her from her surprisingly warm hearted break up from Fez ejected from her body. The ice that ran cold in her veins was deafening to the dial tone of Donna hanging up the phone. On the car ride there, Jackie kept trying to convince herself that it was just like when he fell off the water tower; he'd be in and out and fine again. The moment that the nurses told them he had been in a solo car accident that completely totaled the El Camino, Jackie's heart fell straight onto the cool tile floor. She still had no idea what had happened to him physically or whether she'd see him again.

Life was ironic like that. For all these months, Jackie wished nothing more than to never see Steven Hyde again. Watching his total indifference to her and their relationship was more painful than anything she had ever experienced. It hurt worse than the time he cheated on her with the nurse, and even when she heard those horrendous words screech out of Sam's mouth. Jackie figured to be forgotten was much worse than anything Steven could have done to their relationship. All those months, Jackie felt like she was the crazy one in a strange new world where hearts didn't exist and love was just something that existed to sensationalize television. All those months, Jackie tried every day to feel the connection that held her and Steven together, but ever day she was severely disappointed. To never see him again could be the possible route to actually get over the pain that shredded her soul, but since that was near impossible, she just had to "move on".

Now Jackie didn't care about any of the betrayal or the hurt. All she cared about was to know that her Puddin' Pop was still breathing. The Puddin' Pop she hopelessly knew was still inside him deep, deep down.

* * *

All Hyde could see was white. It was almost as if he weren't in a real place at all. But then, the most beautiful woman in the world appeared to him through the blinding light. She was dressed in a long white dress, but that was really all Hyde could see. She was too vague and blurry for him to recognize her as anybody he knew, but what his eyes lacked the ability to do, his soul filled in the rest. He knew this woman, and he knew her very well.

Hyde opened his eyes to what appeared to be the source of the light in his dream. Hovering above him was a bright light bulb that raped his wide pupils with painful waves. He immediately shut them closed trying his best to figure out where he was using his other senses. Hyde listened to a repetitive beeping noise coming from his left, and he felt an uncomfortable obstruction in his hand. He was wrapped tightly in what felt like thin sheets. Hyde tried to move his body but felt a sharp pain shoot up his left arm. _Fuck! _ Hyde attempted to open his eyes again, this time away from the light. As the room came into focus, Hyde immediately recognized it. He was in a hospital. _Shit. What the fuck did I do this time?_

Just then, a doctor in a long white coat walked in and looked very happy to see he was awake. "Hello Steven. I'm Dr. Cook. Do you know why you're here?"

"No." Hyde croaked out. He wasn't expecting his throat to be so dry. He then turned to his pained arm to see that it was in a cast.

"You were in a car crash on highway 80 just outside of town. Lucky for you, no one was around for you to actually hit."

Hyde closed his eyes in frustration_. Wouldn't I remember if I was in a car crash? I guess I must have been drunk. _

The doctor walked over to him and pulled a tiny flashlight out of his front pocket. "Alrighty, let me just check a few things out for you Steven."

The doctor proceeded to shine the light in Hyde's eyes, checking for any possible unseen brain injuries. Other than a knock on the head and a broken arm, he was in pretty good shape. However, he was in a slight coma for quite some time. It was quite abnormal for a patient who suffered such minor injuries, and they figured he must have done something worse to his brain than what appeared to them. The doctor began checking some of Hyde's other vitals as he asked him a series of questions.

"Feel any sharp pains in your head?"

"No."

"Experiencing any dizziness?"

"No."

"Disorientation?"

"You mean other than not remembering being in a car crash?" Hyde sarcastically replied.

"Yes, other than that."

"No."

"What year is it?"

Hyde rolled his eyes at the doctor, catching the joking tone in his voice. He knew his little snarky remark wouldn't go by unchecked.

"1978."

If Hyde would have cared to look instead of trying his best to not make eye contact in order to show this guy to go away, he would have caught the shocked expression plastered on the doctor's face. He definitely wasn't expecting that kind of answer. Dr. Cook had worked in Point Place his entire medical career and had never encountered a patient with severe memory loss. He had to call in a professional and fast. The doctor quickly straightened up and began to walk out of the room.

"We're just going to keep you a little longer to run a few more tests, Steven. It seems that you have experienced a head injury." He opened the door and began to walk out, only to turn around with a furrowed brow. "Your family is here to see you. I'll send them in."

* * *

Every one couldn't have been more hopeful to finally see the doctor walk into the waiting room again. The troubled look on his face scared them though. They immediately began to demand to know Hyde's condition.

"Doctor." Kitty called as she hopped out of her seat. "Is there any more news on Steven?"

The doctor folded his hands and walked over to the waiting room chairs. He took a seat where everyone waiting to see Hyde could hear him clearly.

"Everything is perfectly fine with Steven physically, other than he has a broken right arm. However, it appears he has a bit of a memory loss."

Everyone looked around the room at each other, trying their best to scope out each other's reactions. This was unexpected.

"How much of a memory loss?" Red ventured to ask.

"Well," The doctor looked nervously around at the group. Amnesia was something the medical profession knew very little about. "It appears that he thinks that it is 1978."

Kitty cried, "oh god", and Eric gasped.

"Now," The doctor interrupted, trying his best to give them some kind of answers. "We're going to run a few more tests on Steven and do a CAT scan of his brain to see if we can locate the problem. Right now, we're going to allow you to visit him, but no more than two at a time. He's been through quite a lot, and I think it's generally best for everyone. Now, I must warn you. Don't reveal too much to him at this moment about what has happened in the past 2 years that he doesn't remember. Something like this can seriously push a patient over the edge."

"Have you told him yet, doctor?" Kitty asked, clutching onto her husband's hand.

Dr. Cook looked down to the floor. "No, I haven't. I think it's best if you tell him Kitty. He trusts you."

Kitty nodded her head, willing to take the responsibility even though she knew it would pain her so much. "Red and I will go in to see him first then."

The doctor nodded and left to call Point Place's neurologist to get to the hospital immediately.

* * *

Kitty and Red Foreman slowly walked down the hall of the emergency room, Hyde's door right in their line of vision. Under normal circumstances, they would have rushed to see Hyde after such an accident, but they were in no hurry. No parent would be in a rush to tell their surrogate child that the world they thought they were living in was long gone.

Red opened the door with a slow turn and took the leap to look at Steven first with Kitty reluctantly at his heels. They found him sitting in his hospital bed wearing a broody expression just like they expected. Once he quickly noticed that they had entered, he gave only a slight smile that was typical to his usual expressionless face.

"How are you feeling, Steven?" Kitty asked, wanting to ease the news to him gently.

"Okay, other than this cast is really uncomfortable." Hyde gestured to the white plaster wrapping on his forearm with a frown.

"Well, that'll be off before you know it, I'm sure." Kitty put in, giving only a half hearted laugh instead of her usual warming cackle.

Kitty's attempts at easing the problem at hand only ended in her crying in her hands. Hyde looked to the woman with an even bigger frown on his face. "It's okay, Mrs. Forman. There is nothing wrong with me other than a little bump on my head and a broken arm."

Kitty sobbed harder in her hands, and Red rubbed her back in comfort. He quickly realized that he would be the one that would have to tell Steven.

"Look, Steven. The doctor wanted us to tell you one more thing about your… um… condition."

Hyde sat up straighter in his bed. "Alright."

"Well, son. It seems that… uh…." Red stumbled on his words as he looked to his crying wife who was now peering over her hands, waiting for him to say it. That look of hers always gave him strength to be her protector, and now he had to save her from delivering the worst news they could ever dream that they had to say to one of their children.

"It seems that you have some kind of, what was the word the doctor said?" Red looked down to Kitty.

"Amnesia." She reminded.

"Yes, amnesia. He says you think it's 1978."

Hyde gave him a "you're crazy" look but then started laughing and shook his head. "I don't know what kind of weird joke is going on here," he said through a slight chuckle. "But I'm not falling for it. It _is _1978."

"This isn't a joke, Steven."

The hard stoniness of Red's voice shook Hyde to his core, but he still couldn't believe what he was actually telling him. He could only sit still and watch as Red held out a newspaper that he had been pretending to read in the waiting room. He glanced over the page. It looked ordinary enough, until he noticed the date at the top.

_1980?_

_It was 1980! 2 years!_

Hyde didn't notice he was holding his breath until his throat started to compulsively gulp for needed air. He took in a huge breath and closed his eyes. He had never felt so scared and paranoid in his entire life.

Red and Kitty watched silently as Hyde tried to cope with the news that was just dropped to him. It was obvious that he was having a miniature panic attack as his eyes grew really wide and darted back and forth. All they could do was watch. Something like this had never happened to them before. It had never happened to anyone that they had knew before… not until now.

Hyde took deep breaths in and out as he tried to calm his racing nerves. He theorized that he hated feeling this helpless over his emotions more than what he was just told. He tried his best to say anything. Shouldn't he ask some question about what you had apparently forgotten over the past 2 years? But then he thought of someone else that was probably freaking out just as much as he was right then. Someone else who would make the fear that now shook his limbs go away.

"I think that I need to talk to Jackie." Hyde announced as he folded his arms and sat back. "She's probably freaking out right now, and I need to show her that everything is just fine."

Red and Kitty exchanged worried glances. Not only was Steven clamming up and not talking at all about the situation, but it didn't even dawn on them what the Jackie situation was going to be like. Two years ago, Jackie and Hyde were still together and happily at that. He didn't have a single clue of any of the things that had happened between them. This could only lead to more trouble.

* * *

**AN2: **So were you expecting it? Chapter 3 should be up in a few days. 


	3. Ch 3: Nothing's Wrong

**AN: **Wow! The response to the last chapter just blew me away. It makes me so happy to see people enjoying this so much. The next few chapters will be pretty angsty, but I don't intend to keep it that way. Just bear with me. But, if you're like me, angsty is okay as long as some good stuff comes afterwards.

* * *

Chapter 3: Nothing's Wrong

The pounding in Jackie's head mimicked her heart's fast rhythm and steady acceleration. Walking down this hospital corridor had to be the scariest thing she had ever experienced. She wasn't sure of the man that she would encounter when she walked into Steven's room, but she was certain she'd be more than uncomfortable with him. She just couldn't grasp the concept of not remembering two years of a life that he had lived. How could banging one's head do that to someone?

While everyone was waiting for Red and Kitty to return, Jackie thought of all the possibilities of the Steven she could meet. 1978 had been a long year for the two of them in their relationship with many ups and downs. She really wasn't sure which of those moments she hoped he remembered last. It he remembered a down moment, such as after he cheated on her with the nurse, her distance from him would be totally understandable. He might not know that the real reason was because he ripped her heart right out of her chest and stomped it until it was a bloody mess on the ground by marrying someone else, but at least she wouldn't have to deal with what it would be like if he remembered a happy time when they were together and in love. She was sure if that happened, she'd have a nervous breakdown right there in his room.

When Red and Kitty told her that he had asked to see her, Jackie felt that karma must have really had it in for her. She had to endure so much over the past year when it came to her and Steven. She hated that he pretended that nothing was ever between them and that what he did to her wasn't wrong at all, but for him to literally forget all of those things… She couldn't even begin to address what her reaction would be.

Jackie stood in front of Hyde's hospital room door and stared up at the numbers nailed to the wood. She sighed to herself. Steven Hyde would always be the cross she'd have to bear. Too bad she'd never be seen as a martyr for it.

Jackie gripped the cool doorknob in her hands, its temperature shocking the nerve endings of her fingers. Her entire body was boiling underneath her skin, and the juxtaposition of the hospital's cold atmosphere reminded her of how out of place she was in this world. She turned the knob, and took the plunge.

* * *

Hyde waited patiently for his girlfriend to come see him. He knew Jackie, and right now she was probably livid with the news that he was okay. Any minute now she'd storm into his room and plant kisses all over his face telling him how happy she was that he was okay. It was almost funny that he sat there thinking of how Jackie was doing with this situation and not really worrying too much about his own confusion. He guessed it just had to do with his typical way of pushing troubling circumstances to the side.

Hyde began to think really hard about the last thing he could remember. It was still a little unbelievable that it was 1980. He saw Red's paper, but his mind still insisted that everyone was wrong. How could someone live for two years with no recollection of what really happened? Hyde thought really hard of the most recent images stored in his memory. Eric and Donna were engaged and planning for a wedding. Eric was trying his best to get out of shopping with Donna, and he even pulled the oldest trick in the book by pretending to have really bad tastes. And then…

Nothing. Hyde couldn't remember anything after that. As far as he was concerned, all of that happened yesterday before he got drunk and crashed his car.

Hyde's dream just before he woke up weaved its way into his mind again. Who was that person exactly? Hyde didn't really believe much in an afterlife where everyone floated on clouds and had halos of gold, but the only thing he could associate the beauty and purity with was an angel.

Hyde was shaken by the doorknob of his hospital room turning. Excitement billowed in his stomach as he carefully watched for Jackie's image to appear in the doorframe. He was certain that this whole mess that he found himself in would be alleviated by her. So, it came as a huge surprise to him when Jackie entered with the saddest face he had ever seen clouding her features. He noticed that she looked a little different from what he remembered. She looked older and more mature, but mostly more beautiful that he could ever imagine she'd be. A smile would have made his doll complete, but he was greeted with none.

Jackie looked up at her ex boyfriend who sat earnestly on his hospital bed. She could tell he was a little disappointed with the frown she walked in with, and she now could safely assume that he still thought they were together. The possibilities of what could become of this encounter suddenly sky rocketed.

"Hey." He finally said, trying his best to get her to say something instead of staring at the ground. Anything might clue him in to what was the matter with her.

"Hi." She answered back. Jackie stood in the middle of his room, a few feet away from his bed. Hyde really didn't like the distance, so, he gestured for her to stand next to him. The scared expression on her faced squeezed his heart like a vice grip. But, she complied with his advance and walked around the bed to stand next to him.

"So, apparently I have some memory loss." Hyde chuckled as he glanced up at her. She wasn't even smiling. "I guess I must have really messed up this time."

Jackie tried her best to figure out what to say to him. She noticed the slight nervousness in his voice that only she seemed to have the ability to pick up on. He was really scared right now but trying his best to hide it. Jackie's heart sunk further into her chest.

"So, how is the El Camino?" Hyde asked, wondering if getting off the subject of his memory loss would get her to start talking.

"Um, I'm not sure." Jackie answered, her voice shaking. "I haven't seen it yet, but one of the nurses told us that the police say it's totaled."

Hyde sighed and closed his eyes. "Well that sucks."

Jackie only nodded as a reply.

Hyde eyed her with concern. He had a feeling that there was something going on that he should know about. Jackie didn't seem like she was going to put any assertive effort into their conversation. The Jackie he remembered would be talking his ear off right now. This wasn't the same girl.

Hyde decided to do exactly what he wanted to do since she walked through the door. He snaked his left arm around her waist, drawing her body in closer to his. Jackie tensed under his touch, but allowed herself to be pulled down to sit on the bed beside him. A strange mix of nervous tension and comfortable relaxation conflicted in Jackie's body. She hadn't been this close to him in so long, and despite that her brain was screaming at her to back away, her body yearned to let this closeness continue for just a few more dangerous moments.

"Look, I know that this whole thing is really weird and confusing right now. Don't tell anyone but, I'm seriously freaking out about it." Hyde said so low to her that Jackie could have sworn he was whispering.

Jackie looked up to find Hyde's uncovered eyes searching her for some kind of answers. The warmth in the cool waters shocked the starving need in Jackie that always existed just for him. This was not the same man that just yesterday burned her because her boyfriend said he wouldn't mind being a woman for a day, as long as he could still receive some lady loving. This man was someone that she hadn't seen for a long time and only dreamed about meeting again. Jackie felt her pulse quicken and the electricity traveling between their bodies surge through her heart. Suddenly, her memory seemed foggy as well.

"So," He asked through a heavy voice. "Are we okay?"

"Yeah." Jackie answered without even thinking.

Hyde wrapped his arm around her tighter and slowly moved his face towards hers. Jackie was positive he was about to kiss her, but she just couldn't find the will power to stop him. She had missed him so much. Before Jackie's brain could argue with her heart's thirsty desires, Hyde captured her parted lips with his own, thriving in the familiarity of the kiss. The muscles of Jackie's back had been stiff against his arm the entire time, but as soon as the warmth of his mouth made contact with hers, he felt her release the tension she was holding and relax into his touch. The love that always burned her chest from the inside out when Steven kissed her tingled painfully at the center of her chest, reminding her how bitter sweet this moment was. She touched the left side of his face and took control of the kiss, getting her own say in this moment that they shared. But her conscious decision to kiss him back reminded her why her body had been craving this kiss to begin with.

Jackie quickly broke away and avoided Hyde's sleepy but concerned stare. She stood up and walked out of his hold, stumbling out of the room with barely a goodbye. Hyde was more confused than ever.

Jackie ran as fast as she could down the hospital hall, hoping that the harder she ran, the more she'd forget about what just happened. She had let herself slip again.

Jackie ran straight passed everyone in the waiting room who immediately stood up as she came in. She made it to the women's bathroom and pushed on the heavy door. Once inside, she stormed into the furthest stall from the door, locking it behind her as soon as she was in. Violent sobs racked her body as she stabilized herself against the wall, sliding downwards to ease the weight on her now wobbly legs.

Just like always, the only person to go after her was Fez.

* * *

Hyde rested his body against the pillows of his hospital bed. He really had no idea what was up with Jackie. He had no idea why kissing her was so wrong, and if it was, why would she kiss him back just to run away soon after. Something was definitely wrong between them despite what she said. He was going to need some answers about what happened during these two years. Hyde figured that the next people to visit him would be the rest of his friends. He didn't want to ask them though what was up with Jackie. Some unnamable force told him that he had to hear it from her and only her.

With a quick opening of his door, Hyde watched as Eric and Donna walked into his hospital room. Well, what appeared to be Eric and Donna.

"Whoa!" Hyde said. "What the hell did you do to your hair?"

Eric turned his head to Donna who just returned Hyde's question with a strange look. She then suddenly realized that Hyde probably didn't remember that she died her hair blonde a while ago. She grabbed a clump of it in her hand and looked at the pale strands that once used to be a brilliant shade of red.

"It's been dyed for a while, Hyde."

Donna felt like she was about to vomit when she saw the confusion cross across Hyde's eyes. She shouldn't have ever said those things to him. Even though she hated thinking of it, Donna knew that it was because of her words that made him go out that night to drink. It was because of her words that made him forget everything.

"Look man." Eric said as he made his way closer to his friend's bed. "We're really sorry about you losing your memory." Eric hung his head low, too ashamed to look at his friend and part of his was afraid of just how different he'd be if he looked hard enough. "That just really sucks man."

Hyde felt the sharp grips of sorrow cling to his chest. He hated people feeling sorry for him, and he really hated it when he couldn't help but agree with them.

"Everything's fine Foreman. You guys just need to tell me everything that I've missed out on, and things will be okay."

Eric looked over to Donna who didn't look up to meet his glance. Eric turned back to Hyde, biting his lip. "I don't think it's going to be that easy, Hyde."

Hyde heard him loud and clear but chose to ignore his words. "So, if I tell you guys the last thing I remember, will you fill in the rest?"

Eric nodded solemnly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I remember you guys planning your wedding." Hyde looked over to Donna who still hadn't had the ability to look him in the eye yet. "And Foreman picked out the deer foot fork to get out of shopping."

Donna met Hyde's stare, seeing the teasing grin the played on his features. Her stomach did a cartwheel, making her even more nauseous.

"So…" Hyde prodded, holding his hands out.

"So, what?" Donna asked.

"So how was the wedding?"

This time Donna met Eric's gaze. Hyde watched as they stared at each other, both shooting uncomfortable glances. This confusion was really starting to tick Hyde off.

"What's the matter?"

Eric rubbed his hands together preparing to start explaining. "Well, Donna and I sort of didn't get married."

Hyde furrowed his eyebrow. "How do you _sort of _not get married?"

"Well, Donna bought this trailer, and I thought I was holding her back from living her dreams, so I didn't show up for the practice rehearsal." Eric explained, guilt smothering his words to a low monotone.

Hyde looked over at Donna who he could tell was trying her best not to show she was sad about the issue. The hope that he always had for his two best friends died a little inside. _What the hell happened to them? _

"So… are you guys still together?"

"Yeah. We're still together." Eric answered.

The door to Hyde's room opened revealing Dr. Cook and another man close behind him. He wasn't wearing a white jacket like Dr. Cook, in fact, it looked like he just woke up.

"Excuse us for a second." Dr. Cook said as he walked passed Eric and Donna. "Steven, this is Dr. Hedburg. He's a neurologist, and he's going to do some CAT scans on your brain so we can figure out more about your memory loss. We'd like to get started right away."

Eric and Donna said their goodbyes to their friend, a little too glad to be leaving. The experience was probably one of the most uncomfortable moments they have ever had with him. They barely ever talked about what happened with their failed attempt at marrying one another much less explain it to someone. The disappointed look that was marked all over Hyde's face was what really got to them though. It reflected what they had been feeling for two years.

* * *

Dr. Cook and Dr. Hedburg looked at picture after picture of their unique patient's brain. It looked like any normal brain should and that was the problem.

"Should we run anymore tests?" Dr. Cook asked the specialist and his personal friend.

"No." Dr. Hedburg shook his head. "There's nothing more any other test will tell us than this will."

Both of them paused, double checking all the scans once more, hoping to find something.

"So what do we do now?" Dr. Cook asked, tearing himself away from his only hope at helping his patient.

"Suggest he see a psychiatrist." Dr. Hedburg gathered his belongings. His job here was done. "It's the only doctor that can help him now."

* * *

**AN2: **Reviews might not be my passion or motive to write, but they do make posting worth while! 


	4. Ch 4: Nothing is the Same

**AN: **All of the reviews have been awesome, and I'm really glad that so many of you are getting into this story. It makes writing it that much better. After this chapter, the angst will be toned down just a little. I hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 4: Nothing is the Same

Jackie sat on Donna's bed squeezing one of her pillows in her arms. Donna lay stretched out beside her tired due to her lack of sleep from the night before. Jackie went back to her apartment like she normally did, but Donna woke up to Jackie her at the end of the bed wanting to talk. That was why they were in this situation in the first place. They hadn't really had a serious conversation since Sam first announced that she and Hyde were married. That night, Jackie cried and cried on Donna's bed as Donna tried her best to actually comfort her friend. Her heart just wasn't in it though. She knew it sounded cruel, but the loneliness of Eric leaving was just setting in and Donna could barely feel sorry for her friend. At the time, she knew that she should have, but she couldn't find it inside of her to relate to her pain. Ever since then, Jackie never came to Donna for comfort, and Donna didn't go to her to see if she was okay.

So, it was very strange to Donna to see Jackie initiating this kind of conversation.

"Donna," Jackie said as she took a deep breath, her face resting on the pillow in her arms. "I know that I haven't come to you about my problems much anymore, but I really didn't know who to turn to in this situation. I tried to talk to Fez about it, but it just felt too weird." Jackie turned around to look at Donna, relieved to see the sympathy in her eyes. Maybe it was just because she was surprised to see her there, but whatever it was, she hoped Donna held onto it for a little longer to hear her out. "I guess because we used to be together…"

"Wait," Donna interrupted. "You and Fez broke up?"

"Yeah, we decided we would just be better as friends. But that's not what I wanted to talk about. Something happened yesterday when I saw Steven."

Donna watched her friend as she hung her head low in shame, almost as if she was embarrassed about what she was about to admit to her.

"What is it, Jackie?"

Jackie bit her lip and hugged the pillow to her chest tighter. "He was just so different Donna." She whispered, shifting her glance to her friend. "It was like how he used to be… before Vegas."

Donna sat up in bed alert. The down shift in Jackie's voice sparked a sorrow in Donna, not to mention her dying curiosity to find out what the hell could have happened. Jackie and Hyde never talked about their relationship since they broke up.

"He asked us if we were okay, and…" Jackie tried her best to hold in her guilty tears, but like always, they were escaping from the corners of her eyes and streaming down her cheeks. "I told him that we were. I guess I just couldn't tell him everything at that moment."

Donna scooted to the end of the bed and wrapped an assuring arm around Jackie's shoulders. "That's okay Jackie. The doctor said that we shouldn't tell him too much right away. You did nothing wrong."

"He kissed me." Jackie croaked, her voice stale with regret. "And I kissed him back."

Donna continued to rub Jackie's arm in silence, trying her best to piece together the advice Jackie was looking for. However, like last time, she came up short. Jackie cried into the pillow, waiting for Donna to say something. At one point, she could go to Donna for anything, and she usually leveled Jackie out with her strong, independent female spirit and rationalization for everything. Her silence was a knife in Jackie's heart, making Jackie wonder where her best friend disappeared to. She understood Donna's distance earlier last year, but now Eric was back. She should have been happy again.

"Is that why you were running from his room yesterday?" Donna finally spoke, her voice softly patching their friendship back together again.

"Yes."

"I think you should tell him then Jackie. It might be hard, but he has to know the truth."

Jackie pushed her curled hair out of her face and blankly stared across the room. "I know. I just don't think I have the strength to."

Donna nodded her head, understanding what Jackie meant. Things were always much easier when confrontation was avoided at all costs. _If you love him, you should forgive him,_ _right?_ Donna now knew from personal experience that it just wasn't that easy.

Donna looked to Jackie who still sat with a sulking frown on her face. She wanted to tell her everything. How much she missed Eric when he was gone, and how hurt she was when he broke up with her for no explanation. How Randy was just a way to dilute her feelings and make her numb to the painful loneliness that haunted her in bed every night. She wanted to tell Jackie how sorry she was for ignoring her when she needed her most and for befriending Sam, and how now, when Donna was reflecting on her life the most, she mourned the friendship she loss with Jackie because she was so hung up on a guy. She tried to tell Jackie all of those things, but sand filled her throat, drying out her words.

* * *

Hyde looked out the window of the Vista Cruiser as all the sites of Point Place passed by him. The town itself didn't look much different, unlike the people that it held. The familiarity of stagnant Point Place was a relief to the rollercoaster of changes happening so fast in his life. When Dr. Cook told him that they couldn't find anything wrong with his brain, the reality of losing his memory really hit him. Sure, Jackie freaking out on him and some of the things that Eric and Donna told him did stir up the worry inside of him, but like always, he just pushed those emotions to the wayside. Once Dr. Cook told him there was no true medical treatment for amnesia, especially for a person who didn't even suffer from a brain injury, Hyde felt the walls come crashing down around him. Was he going to be stuck like this forever? Dr. Cook suggested that he see a psychiatrist, telling him that they had therapy methods that could help with his conditions, but Hyde immediately dismissed his offer. He wasn't crazy, and he'd be damned if he was going to talk to a shrink. He willingly didn't talk to anybody about his feelings for a reason, so there was no way in hell he was going to start with some stranger.

Hyde pulled his sunglasses out of the manila envelope the hospital had kept of his things in. He put them on his face as he stepped out of the car, shielding his eyes from the sun and everyone around him. Foreman pre warned him that his parents were going to try to convince him to see the psychiatrist once he got home. Hyde made his way through the Foreman home, marching right into the living room where he knew Red and Kitty were waiting for him. Just as he suspected, there they were, sitting in their respectable places in the living room. Kitty sat hunched over on the couch, looking like she had worried herself all night long. Hyde could barely see Red's facial expression because he sat in his pea soup colored chair, not turning around at the sound of Hyde entering the living room. However, Hyde didn't expect another person to be waiting with them. He was a very tall, black man with a small afro and a brown suit on. Anger flushed Hyde's face and clenched his fists as he began to figure out who this guy must be. He sat down next to Kitty with a plop.

"So I take it this is the shrink you guys want me to see." Hyde said, gesturing towards WB, his irritation with the whole issue making its first appearance.

Kitty's alarmed expression weighed guilt down on Hyde's chest. Maybe he was being a bit harsh, but Hyde was angry that they would go behind his back like this. Kitty's face scrunched as the sympathetic pain in her chest swelled to the size of a watermelon.

"Steven," She began, keeping her voice calm and caring. "This isn't the doctor."

"It's okay, Kitty." WB interrupted while standing. He wore his usual business man smile on his face to mask the pain of his only son forgetting who he was. "He probably just doesn't remember me."

WB made his way over to the couch holding out his arm. "Steven, I'm William Barnett. I'm your father."

Hyde felt like he had just been in another car crash as the wheels in his brain came to a screeching halt. "What?"

"Steven," Hyde felt Kitty rest a motherly hand on his knee. "A while back ago you fell off the water tower. When you were in the hospital, I was looking through your files and found that Bud's name wasn't on your birth certificate. "Kitty looked up at WB with a small smile. "His was. You met him soon after and now you guys are really good friends."

Hyde sat dumbstruck. He closed his mouth realizing that he had it slightly open the entire time. He wasn't sure if the news was good or not. On one hand, it brought him a little satisfaction knowing that he no longer shared a genetic connection with Bud, but on the other hand, he didn't know this guy any better than the guy he used to think was his father. The moment wasn't even close to being touching. What was even worse was that he apparently had already known this information to begin with and had developed some kind of relationship with this man. Then, another astonishing thought hit him.

"Wait a second." Hyde shook himself out of his dazed trance. "I'm black?"

WB's face that had dropped just a little with disappointment now pulled the corners of his mouth up into a jolly grin. "Yes. Remember? It's where your fro comes from and your complete distrust of the man."

Hyde looked back at him, catching onto his attempts to try to strike some kind of memory chord inside him. His dad must have not been playing his tune because he was still a blank. "Uh, I guess that would make some sense then."

WB looked to both Red and Kitty for a little help. They seemed just as confused about what to do as he did. He shook his head, fixing his composure. "Well, I guess this means that you don't remember Grooves either. Steven, you're a manager of one of my record stores here in Point Place."

Hyde shook his head in approval as WB continued. "I've hired a temporary manager to replace you until you feel that you can come back to the store and run things again."

"Well I don't think that'll be for too long. I'm feeling fine. Once this broken arm is healed, I'll be good as new."

All the adults in the room shook their heads in dismay. "Steven, we think you should see the psychiatrist."

Hyde threw his hand in the air. Kitty continued. "We think it's for the best. He could help you find out why you lost your memory."

Hyde shook his head and held his casted arm with his other. He looked over to Red who hadn't said a word the entire time. "You can't be buying into all this crap, Red."

Red sat up straight in his chair and sighed. "Steven, you're seeing the psychiatrist and that's final."

Hyde breathed heavily through his nose. "Whatever." He tapped his foot angrily on the floor until he just couldn't take it anymore. "If you need me, I'll be in the basement."

As soon as Hyde left the room, WB shifted his eyes from Red to Kitty. "Well, that didn't go well."

* * *

Hyde stormed his way down the basement stairs to find everyone minus Jackie waiting for him. As soon as his boots hit the floor, Kelso stood up from the couch to greet his friend. "I'm so sorry to hear what happened, man."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Hyde sat down in his chair, holding his free hand out signaling for everyone to leave him alone. "You're sorry for me. Everyone's sorry for me."

Everyone shared uncomfortable glances with each other as Hyde focused his eyes on the television set in front of him. They all tried to think of anything to talk about. They were already informed by Donna that they couldn't mention anything involving Jackie because she was going to handle it. They racked their brains trying to think of things they could tell him that he had forgotten.

"Brooke had the baby." Kelso started. "It's a girl, and her name is Betsy."

"Congratulations, man." Hyde responded, continuing to stare on the TV screen.

"You and Jackie are still the godparents." Kelso put in, receiving a glare from Donna. However, Hyde didn't catch onto the connotation that 'still' held.

"I work at a beauty salon." Fez announced. "And I still love candy."

"Sounds great." Hyde sarcastically answered.

Eric looked around the room, nodding his head once he saw everyone had run out of things to say.

"I went to Africa for a few months."

This got Hyde's attention as he swung his head around to meet Foreman with his baffled expression. "_You_ went to Africa? What, they have some big Star Wars convention there?"

Eric laughed and shook his head. "No, I went there so I could get a teaching scholarship to UW."

Hyde nodded and shrugged. It was a little strange to have his friends recap him, but he was trying his best not to let the weird feeling take over him too much. Now more than ever, he had to keep his zen intact.

"What about you Donna?" Hyde asked as he looked bad to the TV. "What's been new with you?"

"Well," Donna began as she sat up in the chair opposite of him. "I still work at the radio station as Hot Donna. I'm still going to the community college, and I'll be going to UW with Eric in the Fall."

Hyde eyed her. "So, nothing new?"

Donna bitterly slouched down again.

Just then, Jackie walked through the door, her curious and scared eyes scanning the room, only stopping when they landed on Hyde. She closed the door and stepped further into the room, wrapping her arms protectively around her body to attempt to shield herself from his stare.

"Hey Jackie." He finally said, noticing that everyone in the room had their full attention on them.

"Hey." She said, glancing up at him nervously.

Hyde stood up and pointed towards his room. Jackie nodded her head and followed him to the back.

"This is going to be bad." Fez stated, and no one had hope enough to disagree.

Jackie walked through the door of Hyde's bedroom, taking a whiff of the familiar aroma that she hadn't smelled in what felt like ages. Everything looked just as it had the last time she had been in there. Hyde, too, had a little moment to himself to take in his bedroom's surroundings. He was happy to see that nothing had changed about it. Hyde took comfort in knowing that not everything was different, easing his troubled mind for just a bit. He looked to Jackie who still had her arms tightly wrapped around her, a stance he had come accustomed to know that she wanted to be anywhere but here. Whatever was bothering her, he had to fix because as much as he pretended that Jackie's constant attentiveness and talking annoyed him, he really missed those things when she was being this way. She hadn't been this reserved towards him since the nurse incident. Hyde nerves betrayed him, his blood pressure as he thought of what horrible thing he must have done now. He promised her that he would never cheat on her again, and Hyde only hoped that that wasn't the case at all.

Ignoring the pounding in his ears, Hyde stood in front of Jackie. He took his sunglasses off and hooked them to the collar of his tee shirt and then taking her arm into his hand. "Jackie, you have to tell me what's the matter."

Jackie nodded her head solemnly, not meeting his eyes to answer. "I know."

Hyde gave her a few moments as she tried her best to think of a way to tell him the things that haunted her dreams at night. Jackie couldn't come to grips with hurting him the way she knew she would when she told him what he did to her. She always knew him to be one of the most hidden insecure people she had ever met, and one of his flaws was letting guilt eat himself away into a bitter mess. As much as she knew that she shouldn't enjoy the Steven that stood before her, her heart was screaming for her to take him as he was because after this moment, he would change right back into the cold being that hurt her so much. Unfortunately, her head once again convinced her to choose the rational route.

"Steven," Hyde cringed at the shaking of his name. "You and I have been through a lot these past two years. A portion of it was really amazing but…" Jackie stopped, trying to gain some kind of control in the emotions her voice couldn't hide.

"But what, Jackie?" Hyde insisted her to continue. He tried to pull her in closer to him, but he was met with her struggle to keep distance.

"We've been broken up for a while now."

Hyde felt his shoulders weaken and the knot in his stomach grow more tangled. "For how long?"

Jackie gazed up in his eyes, waves of heartache pounding on her chest. "Six months."

Hyde let out a sigh as he tried to imagine what that must have been like. He stopped his train of thought, moving right along to the thing he needed to know most. "Why?"

Jackie clammed up and felt the tickling of running for the hills light on her feet. Her thoughts ran circles around in her head, clouding explanation with her fear of actually speaking the words to him. Horrible memories of disgusting that tramp in high heels and barely dressed flooded her brain. Nights too hurtful to remember seeped through the cavities of her mind, swirling her emotions around until she felt just as weak as she did then.

"Jackie," Hyde called to her more insistently. "Why?"

Jackie clamped her eyes shut in pain as she forced the words to spill out. "Because you married someone else."

Jackie tore herself from his grip once again, taking off without him following. Hyde was too shell shocked to go after her. _I married someone else? _He sat down on his cot, trying his best to remember any of that. He searched all the corners of his brain, frustrating causing a major headache to come on. _The last thing I remember…_

His dream of the woman in white came back to him. She was just as hazy as before, but the background was beginning to come into focus more. The walls around her were a smoky grey with white trim on the tiny doorways lined up behind her. There was a small wall light just to the left of her head that appeared to be there more for decoration then an illuminating source.

Hyde rubbed his eyes and lay back on his bed. _What the hell am I going to do now?_

* * *

**AN2: **Chapter 5 should be up in the next 2 or 3 days._  
_


	5. Ch 5: Time is Out of Joint

**AN: **So, I'm not too satisfied with this chapter, but its mostly because it's more dialog oriented than usual, something that I always have trouble with.

The title of this chapter is a quote in Shakespeare's Hamlet, but I'm really using it in the context of Tom Stoppard's absurdist play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead which is Stoppard own rendition of Hamlet but Ros and Guil are the main characters. Basically, their characters were sort of plucked from nowhere and placed in the play a little like I've plucked S6 Hyde and placed in post S8 land for you guys.

Enjoy and Review!

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Chapter 5: Time is Out of Joint

Hours had passed since Jackie had left, and Hyde had been spending all of his time in his room trying his best to remember anything. He barely even knew if he wanted to marry Jackie, so why in the hell would he marry someone else? It took a long time for him to begin to trust that Jackie loved him and really wanted to be in a relationship with him and not Kelso. He couldn't imagine finding someone else and suddenly taking that kind of step with them. It was Hyde's opinion that marriage just messed things up, and once he and Jackie did get married, she would realize after a few years what a big mistake she made. He could never give her the material possessions that she wanted in life. However, there were some moments where Jackie would do something so uncharacteristic, like not mentioning her birthday, that he began thinking that maybe she didn't need those things anymore. She really wasn't as shallow as she used to be, and everyday it seemed like the importance of material wealth decreased in value for her. Hyde figured that if one day he ever did change his mind, he would only want to take that step with Jackie.

Knowing that much, Jackie's words were driving him crazy. That _wasn't _him. He would never just marry someone, especially if he knew it would hurt her so much. There had to be a catch behind all of this, and he was going to find out what that was.

But first things first, he had to shaved this mustache off. That was another thing driving him nuts. He hated mustaches especially big furry ones that made him look like a porn star. Didn't he tease Kelso endlessly about his when he went off to the police academy a few weeks ago? Wait… 2 years ago. Damn! He had to stop doing that.

Time was really out of joint, and it seemed that other parts of his personality were too.

Hyde stood in the tiny bathroom in the back of the basement staring into the water spotted mirror. The place was a total mess. Hyde remembered being somewhat of a slob, but not this much of one.

He concentrated hard on his own reflection, staring into his eyes' icy caves. Hyde always hated doing this. There was just something about his eyes that made him feel so uncomfortable. They revealed too much of himself that he really didn't want to see. But this time, Hyde didn't stop himself. He had to figure things out, and he had to figure them out on his own. He wasn't going to argue with the Foremans anymore about seeing the doctor, but he was going to do everything in his willpower to not have to go for very long.

Hyde continued to stare deep into his eyes, his chest slowly tearing the longer he stood there. It wasn't from an epiphany that struck him or finding exactly what he was searching for. They were blank. Eyes that Jackie once told him were utterly endless, crystal gems that she could get lost in, exposed to him nothing except a dead end.

Hyde swore and opened the mirror to pull out his shaving cream and razor. He really didn't know why he thought it would work, but he was desperate and willing to give anything a try. Hyde lathered up his face thinking of all the possibilities of why he lost his memory. Space aliens, maybe? He didn't believe they were alone in this big universe; besides, all the abduction stories seemed pretty real. Maybe that's really why he crashed his El Camino. He was taken up to the mother ship while he was driving, and spent 2 years space time being examined which was only seconds in earth years.

Hyde stopped shaving. Wait… That doesn't make sense.

It had to be the government. Something had to happen that made them erase his memory. Maybe that's what all of this about. He married someone else, grew a mustache and became a total slob in order to hide his identity, but then the government got to him before he could escape, erasing his memory of any inkling of whenever his plot started.

Hyde shook his head, halfway done with shaving. He should have suspected.

Hyde finished shaving and rinsed up, wiping his face in the nearest towel. The cotton felt smooth against his cheeks. He moved his mouth muscles around, feeling the difference of the weight on his upper lip. He looked back in the mirror, seeing a familiar face staring back. All the conspiracy theories aside, he really had to figure out what the hell happened. He wanted his old life back, the one that he remembered. Sure, having a dad that wasn't Bud and running a record store might have been cool, but that wasn't what was really important. What was important was getting Jackie back and finding out why everyone wasn't their normal selves anymore.

Hyde walked out of the bathroom and made his way into the basement. The only person there was Foreman who was watching Charlie's Angels. Hyde took a seat in his normal chair, feeling Eric's eyes on him.

"So, I see you shaved off your beloved pornstache." Eric remarked with a smirk.

Hyde rubbed the smooth skin above his lip trying to imagine why he would wear such a hideous thing with pride. "Yeah. I didn't like it and wanted it gone."

Eric just nodded his head and continued watching the show.

"So Eric," Hyde began. He hated going to others for help, but he needed to know something about this whole marriage thing without Jackie bolting on him. "Jackie says that we've been broken up for a few months because I married someone else."

Eric tensed at his words. He silently remembered when he tried talking to Hyde about what happened soon after he returned from Africa. With a beer in his hand and a cold, stoic look on his face, all he said was it happened and now it was over. This new situation was very different from the previous one, but Eric didn't feel weird with this Hyde. This Hyde was the best friend he grew up with who might have been stand offish when it came to his feelings, but he at least would talk to him about his problems. It might have been a few words of doubt, but it was never blowing him off completely. Since his return, Eric had been seeking the soothing comfort from answers and the key to unlock what everyone once had in the past. Not only did he turn up short, but he also had given up on trying.

So, Eric told Hyde everything he knew. He told him about Jackie's demands of a promise for a future together and the ultimatum that arose from her job offer in Chicago. He explained how soon after Hyde's marriage, Jackie wrote him a few letters explaining the uncompromising position Hyde found her in with Kelso and how he immediately jumped to conclusions. Eric hesitated when it came to the part in his story when Jackie told him that what hurt the most of all wasn't that he actually drunkenly married a stripper, but that he stayed with her and pretended as if their relationship never existed.

Hyde stopped Eric's tale by jumping from his seat and pacing the room like a caged tiger. His head pounded from self directed insults and the frustrating pain of not remembering a damn thing.

"No." Hyde finally said, stopping to stare down at his friend. "No, I wouldn't just stay with some trashy stripper that I married while drunk in Vegas."

Eric met his exacerbated stare. "Well, you did."

"Damn it!" Hyde turned around, trying his best to get a grip on his anger. He knew he was showing Foreman a little too much than he wanted, but he just couldn't concentrate on that. His head was spinning. He kept repeating to himself, _You did it again. You promised her you'd never do it again. _Hyde swallowed his aggression ignoring the tumbling inside of him as he turned back around to face his friend.

"So where is this wife of mine now? If we're married and I stayed with her, why isn't she here?"

Eric felt the venom in Hyde's voice spit out at him, burning his skin. He wasn't the person to ask since he wasn't even around for all of this, but as his best friend, he couldn't push him away and tell him to ask someone else. "Well, apparently, she lied to you and you guys weren't even really married. She was still married to this one guy that she ran off with a few months after you got hitched."

Hyde's heart thudded in his chest like a jack hammer. "Well isn't that fucking great." His swearing gave a tiny sweet release, but his anger just consumed him more. "I threw away my relationship with Jackie for some bitch that I wasn't even really married to. I don't fucking believe this!"

Hyde plopped down on the couch next to Eric, trying his best to control the tempo of his breathing and the panic racing through him. How was he ever supposed to get Jackie back now? 

Eric watched his friend carefully. The stress marked all over his face assured Eric something that he knew all along. Eric saw the way Jackie and Hyde were when they were together. That kind of love just doesn't shut off. Eric believed Hyde when he said that _he _wouldn't hurt Jackie in this way. Eric fully knew that this Hyde loved Jackie even though he tried so hard to deny it. The unfeeling and heartless man that sat on his couch just yesterday was the product of some kind of disconnect that Hyde experienced once Sam came. It didn't mean that he loved Jackie any less, he was just more prone to hiding it at all costs. This Hyde had no clue the things he thought after Sam came or the experiences he had before. Just like Eric, he was coming back to his friends only knowing what had occurred from the words spoken.

"Do you believe in aliens?" Hyde finally asked. His voice was considerably calmer. It would have been safe to say that he sounded like his own self if it wasn't for the far away discomfort clogged in his throat.

"Hyde, are you seriously asking me if _I _believe that aliens exist?"

Hyde chuckled. "You're right. You know they exist and are fighting Luke Skywalker with light sabers."

"Why do you ask me?"

Hyde shook his head and gestured to his head. "I'm just trying to figure out why the hell this happened to me."

"So you think aliens did this?" Eric lifted a skeptical eyebrow.

"Not really. After thinking about it, I kind of realized that wouldn't work. You know, with the time and stuff."

Eric smirked and decided to leave Hyde alone with his own coping mechanisms. More than likely he wouldn't listen to him anyways.

"So what are you going to do?" Eric finally asked after a few minutes of \ silence. Hyde scrunched his forehead really taking the question into consideration. Finally, he came to a conclusion and slightly relaxed, giving into the reality of what he _had_ to do.

"I'm going to talk to Jackie. Hopefully this time she doesn't run away again." Hyde pushed himself off the ratty couch and made his way out of the basement.

* * *

Hyde knocked on Donna's bedroom door, his brain tossing and turning trying to figure out what he was going to say. His insides were writhing with anticipation, but as always, his calm exterior told the world he was as apathetic about it all.

It shocked Hyde a little to see Donna open her door so widely, as if she wasn't hording a little crying brunette away from him. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion at his sudden presence.

"What are you doing here, Hyde?"

Hyde walked into Donna's room, looking to where Jackie's cot used to be. Instead, the space was empty and the carpet no longer had an imprint of her makeshift bed. It was as if she had never even been there.

"I'm looking for Jackie." Hyde announce and quickly pointed to the space. "Where is her cot?"

Donna hung her head, guilt shining its heavy light on her once more. "Hyde, Jackie doesn't live here anymore."

Hyde scanned his eyes around the room once more. "Well where does she live?"

"She lives with Fez at his apartment."

"Fez has an apartment?"

Donna released an exasperated sigh and touched her forehead in frustration. "Fez and Kelso got an apartment a while ago, and once Kelso moved out to live in Chicago to work at the Playboy Mansion as a security guard, Jackie moved in with Fez."

Hyde nodded his head. "Kelso works at the Playboy Mansion, huh? Nice." His sleazy grin wiped off his face. "Well, which apartment do they live at?"

"The one on 3rd, room 2B…" Donna was interrupted by Hyde making a beeline out of her room. "NO! Wait, Hyde."

Hyde turned around at Donna's doorway waiting for her to speak. Donna bit her lip thinking as fast as she could.

"I don't have all day, Donna."

"Alright, alright." Donna walked closer to Hyde, wringing her hands together nervously. "Y-y-esterday, before your accident…. Um… I sort of said some things to you that I shouldn't have."

Hyde rolled his eyes beneath his aviators. "Is that it? Look Donna, I don't remember, so it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it." He turned around but was stopped by Donna's strong hand on his shoulder.

"No, just listen, Hyde. I think if I don't give you a proper apology, I'll never feel better about this. You see, yesterday, I was feeling really bad about some things going on with me and Eric."

"You guys having problems?" Hyde asked.

Donna nodded her head affirmatively.

"Well at least that is something I can count on staying the same."

Donna tried ignoring his words, but they scraped at her back, making her shiver with disappointment and anger. "Yeah, well… that's not the point, Hyde. I got angry with you and sort of called you white trash just like your parents."

Hyde froze in his spot, feeling the blow of just the mention of the insult. His parents had always been a sensitive issue with him that usually made lose his zen and want to frog someone. Realization slapped Hyde hard in the face relieving his need for outward aggression.

"Yeah, well, according to what Foreman has told me, I don't blame you. I'd probably say the same thing."

Donna could only stare at his retreating form, completely shaken by his agreement.

* * *

Hyde knocked on the door to Fez and Jackie's apartment. His only hope now was that she wouldn't slam the door in his face. He heard through the hard wood Fez's foreign accent calling to who he assumed was Jackie that he would answer the door. Hyde breathed a sigh of relief.

Fez opened the door with a wide grin, but his face fell and his eyes grew wide at the sight of Hyde standing in the hallway. "What are you doing here?" He whispered.

"I came here to talk to Jackie, Fez." He eyed him, daring him to even think about not letting him in.

Fez looked back into the apartment nervously. "Look, Jackie is really upset right now. If I let you in, she'll blow up on me too."

"Fez, if you don't let me in, you'll have to deal with me blowing up on you. You choose which is worse?"

Fez whimpered at Hyde's menacing look. He really hated Hyde's punches. They hurt just as much as Jackie's shin kicks.

To Fez's unwanted surprise, he didn't have to make a decision after all.

"Fezzie, who's at the do-…" Jackie dropped the pair of socks she was rolling up when she noticed Hyde standing there, staring back at her with an awkward and nervous look.

"Hey Jackie." Hyde took a few steps forward deciding that since she hadn't demanded Fez to slam the door in his face just yet, it was probably safe to come in.

"What are you doing here?" Jackie folded her arms and shot daggers into him with her mismatched eyes. Fez nervously held the door looking back and forth between the two.

"I came over because I want to talk about this. Foreman told me what happened and -…"

"No." Jackie's voice bellowed all of the strength she was trying to find inside of her. "No, we had a chance to talk about this for months. I don't care if you lost your damn memory. You lost your chance."

"Jackie please -…"

"No, Steven!" Hyde gulped at the watery fury that danced across her eyes. "You put me through a lot of crap these past few months. Marrying some tramp, rubbing it in my face how much you guys had sex…"

"I don't remember that!" Hyde yelled. It was frustrating him to no end to hear all of these things, but the pain in Jackie's eyes made him instantly regret his outburst. "Look, Jackie, I'm really sorry, okay."

"You're sorry?" Jackie's voice teetered on the edge of sobbing. "Steven, how can you really be sorry if you don't even remember?"

Hyde tried to answer her question ,but like always, his words came up short. Jackie shook her head in disappointment, leaving the room to find sanctuary in her bedroom. For a second, Hyde wondered how many times he saw those eyes after he got "married", the ones that made him feel like the most worthless piece of shit on the planet. Maybe he was better off not remembering. There could have been a reason why he didn't fight for her.

"I'll see you around, Fez." Hyde said to the ground, turning on his heel and steadily walking down the hall.

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**AN2: **I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but hopefully soon. I really need to get back into the groove of writing again. 


	6. Ch 6: Pushing Buttons

**AN: **So, I'm pretty excited about this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it, and hopefully, you guys like it. The angst is toned down a lot and it will continue to stay like that for a little while. The response on my last chapter was great, and it makes me so happy that you guys are digging this story so much. Anyways, happy reading and leave me a review.

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Chapter 6: Pushing Buttons

The Vista Cruiser's engine lowly hummed along to the rock beats pumping from the door speakers. The morning air only blew a slight chill on the arms of Hyde and Eric as it slowly began to turn into the afternoon. Hyde had trouble sleeping the night before and was fighting back the tired heavy haze that weighed down his eyelids. After he saw Jackie, he decided that he'd take a break from trying to remember. It never amounted to anything and only left him with a skull cracking headache. After the incident, he felt like getting drunk but decided against it. Getting drunk was what not only what got him into his situation with Jackie, but it also gave him this feeling that he had been plucked from his normal life and dropped off randomly in the future. He didn't necessarily _feel_ like he had lost his memory. In order to even think that way he'd have to have some conception that all these events actually happened in the first place. Eric might have told him about his actions over the past two years and the others filled in some gaps from time to time, but without tangible memories of these actions and words, they were all essentially meaningless.

That's where Jackie's words came in. Oh, how right she was that he couldn't _really_ be sorry. He felt bad for her being hurt by him, but with no recollection of committing these acts that hurt her so much, Hyde really didn't feel very guilty. Guilty wasn't the emotion that chipped his shoulders throughout the day. Hyde felt that the unnameable force that controlled the universe had signaled him out. He was angry that someone else had used his body to betray Jackie and slam his El Camino into a tree, leaving him here to deal with the consequences. The entire situation was completely unfair. Worst of all, Jackie had to suffer the most from whatever bad cosmic joke that was in effect.

Driving to Point Place's junkyard was a funeral march for Hyde. He feared the condition his precious El Camino was in. No one had been down to see it, and Eric agreed to take him that morning and then drop him off at his first doctor's appointment. Hyde was positive that another horrible day was progressing for him, and he had no control of stopping it. The El Camino's condition, out of his power; going to see a psychiatrist, out of his power; getting Jackie to talk to him; well, that was a little more complicated.

"So, Hyde," Eric spoke through the rambling of his thoughts. "How are you feeling today, about you know, everything?"

Hyde was good at reading between the lines especially when it came to his scrawny friend. Foreman might have sincerely wanted to know if he was better, but he really just wanted to swing the conversation to himself so he could start complaining about his issues with Donna. A hint of a melancholy sigh in his question always gave him away. It was like when they were in the circle goofing around and having a good time and Eric would do the same thing during a moment of silence. Usually, Hyde was only slightly irritated by his friend's self centered view of the world and need to constantly nag, but now he really just wanted to reach into the glove compartment and throw whatever he could find at Eric's head just to shut him up. But, he decided to give in. Eric did tell him about the Jackie situation the day before, even though Hyde was starting to think that maybe things would have been better just to stay in the dark.

"I'm fine, Foreman, and we're not going to talk about it. I already have to see some stupid shrink today."

Hyde listened to Eric release another long, pay attention to me sigh. He rolled his eyes.

"What is it, Foreman?" Hyde asked through clenched teeth.

"What?" Eric asked innocently. "Nothing's wrong." Hyde counted beats in his head, waiting. "It's just that Donna and I aren't doing so good."

"Uh huh."

"It's like, ever since I got back from Africa, we haven't been the same. She's either really sad or pissed off all the time, not to mention our sex life is pretty much non-existent."

Hyde held up his hand defensively. "Alright, we stop right there. I really don't want to hear about you and Donna's sex life."

"You mean lack of." Eric corrected.

"Whatever." Hyde readjusted his sunglasses on his face and moved his cast in a more comfortable position, preparing himself to once again explain things to his skinny, Star Wars loving friend. "Alright, let me get this straight because I'm sort of suffering from uh… AMNESIA! You left Donna at the wedding rehearsal because you thought marrying her would hold her back from her dreams of becoming a successful woman."

"Right."

"And you went to Africa to get a teaching scholarship while Donna still attended Point Place Community College like she has been since she decided to stay home with your scrawny ass."

"Right. Wait…"

"And you're now wondering why Donna isn't giving you any?"

Eric gave a sideways, nervous glance at the sarcasm present in Hyde's voice. "Look man. Did you ever stop to think that maybe Donna is a little pissed that she decided to put those dreams on halt for you and not only did you screw that up, but you just end up leaving her behind to pursue your own dreams of success?"

Eric said nothing as he turned into the junkyard parking lot, or what could be assumed as a parking lot. Gravel and rocks covered the ground in front of the run downed tin shop.

"Well, now onto more important issues." Hyde said, opening the door. "Like finding out how the El Camino is."

"Hey," Eric called after him. "My issues with Donna are important, too."

"Really," Hyde turned around, both he and Eric stopping in their tracks. "Because it seems to me that you guys are just fighting about the same old crap."

"Can I help you boys?" A large man in blue overalls called to them as he walked out of his shop, interrupting Eric's rebuttal to Hyde's claim.

"Yeah, we're looking for a black El Camino that got towed here two nights ago." Hyde turned to face the mechanic, ignoring Eric's angry, pointing finger.

The mechanic chuckled as he pointed to the door of the chain linked fence that guarded Point Place's car graveyard. "Oh yes. I remember that car. It's a shame what happened to it. It was quite a beauty."

The word 'was' had never rang so loudly in Hyde's ears before. His car _was_ quite a beauty just like his life _was_ normal and not completely frustrating.

Hyde trotted towards the fence with Eric following only a few steps behind. As the El Camino's shiny black paint on its tail bed came into view, Hyde felt the nauseating fear of disappointment churning in his gut. She looked okay from behind, but it was her front end that had taken the blown.

"No!" Hyde groaned, standing in front of his car looking at the crunched in center. The front was probably half the size it originally began as with the hood bending upwards to reveal the damaged insides. The indention of the tree was dead center, and the rest of the front bumper caved inwards as if being sucked in by the crash point. The windshield sported a long, horizontal, obnoxious crack that extended to both sides of the frame. Scratch marks left jagged white marks down the top where the tree's hanging branches scraped along during impact. Hyde gulped the ball that had been nagging his throat and silently swore at his former self who was shaping up to be asshole of the year.

"It'll need major frame work and a new paint job, both of which are going to cost more than this car is worth." The mechanic grunted behind them as he wiped grease from his black finger tips. "I'm not even going to begin on listing off everything wrong under the hood, or," he chuckled, "what's left of the hood."

Hyde flared his nostrils in disgust at the joke, still not able to tear his eyes away from the damage. He felt an awkward hand land on his shoulder.

"Other than that, it looks like you've taken really great care of this car." The mechanic said in his own awkward way of comforting. "Were you drunk, son?"

"You could say that." Hyde replied stiffly.

"Yep," The mechanic wrapped a thumb underneath his strap. Hyde shot a sharp eyebrow in Eric's direction only receiving a shrug in return. "I used to have a drinking problem, too."

"I don't have a drinking problem anymore." Hyde walked out of the mechanic's hold, stroking the El Camino's side for what he pathetically hoped wasn't the last time.

"Ah, have you been going to AA? Yep, been there, done that."

Hyde shook his head and looked up at Eric, signaling to him that it was time to go. "No, I've stumbled upon a better wake up call."

* * *

Hyde thought that this couch was probably the nicest and most expensive he had ever sat his ass on not knowing that he had sat on couches just like this one in his dad's own office. Its plush cushions and mahogany leather coverings cocooned his body in the corner where he sat. The air burned his nostrils as a stick of incents burned on one of the doctor's many book shelves on the opposing side of the room. The place was sleek, but it still had a comfortable atmosphere what with various, out of place knick knacks lying around. Hyde picked up a magic eight ball that rested on a table just next to the arm rest. He held the black globe in his hand and thought of a question he could ask it. _Will I ever get my memory back?_

He shook it.

_Try Again Later._

"Whatever."

Just then, the office door opened and Hyde quickly placed the fortune teller back on the table. He studied his psychiatrist's appearance carefully with his judgmental eyes, determining whether he would like this guy or not.

He was taller and had a skinnier frame than Hyde, a lot like Kelso's body type. He wore his dark brown hair short and looked to be in his early thirties. Hyde sneered at the tweed coat he wore, a look he noticed some of the professors at UW had whenever they all went to visit during the beginning of senior year. The rest of his dress was pretty relaxed, wearing casual kacki slacks and a white button up tee shirt.

"Hello, Steven. I'm Dr. Nick Swardson." He extended his hand for a handshake. Hyde eyed him untrustingly but shook his hand anyways.

"So," Dr. Swardson sat down. "I take it you don't want to be here."

"No, not really." Hyde felt the need to cross his arms but couldn't due to his cast. He settled with a slouch instead.

"Well, why are you here?"

Hyde rolled his eyes and sighed. Was this guy some kind of joke? He was already trying to pick him apart and dissect his mind.

"I guess you could call them my surrogate parents. They really wanted me to come, so I agreed."

The psychiatrist nodded taking a seat in his chair opposing Hyde. He pulled out a tape recorder with a little microphone attached to the side. "Do you mind if I record our sessions. It's very rare that I have a patient with amnesia."

Hyde shook his hand at him. "Oh, no. I don't trust those things, man."

Dr. Swardson gave a slight smile, catching on. "You do know that there is a doctor-patient confidentiality law. Whatever you say to me, no one can force me to talk, not even the government."

Hyde lifted an eyebrow and looked back at the tape recorder. "Kind of like a priest?"

"Yeah, sort of like that. Whatever you say is just between you and me. Privacy is a big issue in psychiatry."

"Well, why do you need to record then?"

"I like to go over them afterwards. It's much easier than taking notes while we talk. That can get a bit distracting, don't you think?"

Hyde nodded his head and shrugged. "I guess you can record then."

Dr. Swardson pressed the record button and interlocked his fingers together as he leaned forward to attempt to have a discussion with this very guarded young man. "So what is the last thing you do remember?"

"2 years ago." Hyde stated shortly.

"Well, what about two years ago. Was there anything significant happening?"

Hyde shrugged again as he looked around the room. "Not really. My two best friends were planning for their wedding. That's about it." Hyde looked to the doctor, tapping his foot impatiently. He hated that he was being recorded even though he agreed to it, and he really hated that this doctor kept looking at him as if he knew what he was thinking. "Look, I really have this under control. My friends have been filling me in on what I've missed out on. Everything's fine. So, how about we not waste each other's time and you tell Mr. and Mrs. Foreman, the people who are making me come to this, that I'm okay."

"I can't do that Steven." Dr. Swardson responded, not even affected by Hyde's suggestion.

"It's Hyde by the way. And why not?"

"Well, I don't really know if you are okay or not. I can't just tell those people something that I'm not even sure of in my medical opinion."

Hyde shook his head. "I just told you I was okay though."

"Well, I don't think you are."

"Why not?"

"Because, Hyde, there is a reason you are repressing two years of your memory. Now, I'm not saying that you know that reason just yet, and I really don't know it. We might not ever know, but at least we can try and find out, and who knows, maybe if we do, you'll get your memory back." Dr. Swardson leaned back in his chair relaxing his arms on the arm rests. "Now, I'm not guaranteeing anything. Little is known about amnesia because it just doesn't happen all the time, and in no way am I saying you have to come see me, but I think you're chances at figuring this thing out is a lot better with me than by yourself."

Hyde sat silently, trying to weigh in his mind if any of this was even worth it. He never trusted doctors and he certainly didn't trust shrinks. No matter how frustrated he felt at times, he knew he wasn't crazy. However, he was curious. He didn't know how the hell all of this started. He could probably guess the why. From what he had heard, the last two years didn't exactly sound like a place he wanted to remember, but he knew that he would need to in order to become normal again. He felt like such a helpless handicap person having to be corrected all the time about the assumptions he had. Maybe it would be okay to just give this a try, but only for a little while.

Hyde turned his eyes on the doctor who was patiently waiting for his answer. "Alright, "Hyde said, "I'll keep coming. But you're not trying any hypnosis crap on me. That's my one request."

Dr. Swardson grinned and nodded his head in agreement. "Fine by me. It doesn't even really work unless you want to be hypnotized."

Hyde nodded his head. "Good to know."

* * *

Hyde marched his way down the hallway of Jackie and Fez's apartment. He knew she wasn't going to be very happy to see him again, but this time he had a plan. During his ride home from Dr. Swardson's office, he was feeling more scheming than he had in the past few days. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but some of the things he and his doctor talked about gave him a little hope about a possible recovery. They didn't talk about feelings or anything like that. Actually, Hyde was able to get the guy to divert his attention away from himself, and he had Dr. Swardson talk about all he knew about amnesia. Little did he know, Dr. Swardson caught onto exactly to what he was doing but gave in anyway because he knew it was important for his patient to start feeling comfortable with him before any type of actual therapy could take place. After the appointment was over, Hyde thought of the perfect way to get Jackie to talk to him: pushing her buttons.

Hyde aggressively knocked on the door barely being able to contain his anxiousness. As soon as Fez opened the door, he stilled his body and put on his best zen face.

Fez rolled his eyes. "Hyde, I don't think that whatever you have to say to Jackie is going to work. She is still very angry."

Hyde patted Fez on the shoulder and walked into the apartment without permission. "Don't worry, Fez. I know what I'm doing this time."

Hyde switched his pointed finger back and forth between the two bedroom doors of the apartment, asking which one was Jackie's. Fez frowned and pointed to the door on the left reluctantly. He watched his curly hair friend as he knocked on Jackie's bedroom door waiting for permission to come in. When he heard Jackie's voice call unknowingly, "Come in." from the other side, he whimpered. "Ai, no."

Hyde grinned at the shocked look that passed over Jackie's eyes when she noticed it was he who had entered. "Hey Jackie." He said lowly, already putting his plan into motion.

Jackie puckered her lips annoyed and flipped through her magazine angrily, ignoring her scruffy ex boyfriend.

"So, what, are you not talking to me or something?" Hyde asked, trying his best not to smile.

Jackie ignored him as she continued to pretend to read about beauty tips about obtaining long, lushes lashes.

"Well, I guess that will just make what I have to say easier then." Hyde smirked down at her, noticing that her ears perked up slightly.

"I just want to take back what I said. I'm not sorry."

Jackie whipped her head towards him not being able to contain the appalled look on her face. She opened her mouth about to chew him a new one, but then she remembered the plan she concocted earlier that day. It was the only defense she could think of, and she wasn't about to abandon it now. She turned her head back down to continue reading her magazine.

Hyde grinned again at Jackie's reaction. He definitely had an upper hand now. He continued. "I'm not sorry because you were right. I can't just say that without remembering all of the crap I put you through. However, I was doing some thinking today. This whole thing really sucks, you know?"

Jackie chose to think of what he said as a rhetorical question.

"I don't know why I can't remember any of this stuff, and I have absolutely no clue why I did the things everyone has been telling me I did. So, I decided, instead of waiting around for my memory to come back, which apparently might not even happen, I'm going to get my old life back, starting with you."

Jackie froze in her spot, the possessiveness in his voice sending chills up her spine.

"As far as I'm concerned Jackie, you're still my girl. Whoever the asshole I used to be, doesn't matter anymore, and instead of telling you I'm sorry, I'm going to show you that I'm not him anymore."

Jackie's muscles clenched and she tried her best to ignore all the tingles shooting through her limbs. Jackie would have thought that what he was saying was incredibly romantic if it wasn't for the anger and aggression laced in his words. Instead, she found it to be a huge turn on. Hyde watched as she struggled to keep quiet and still from the impact of his words and turned around to leave, satisfied with the impression he was leaving on her.

Jackie didn't look up until she knew that Hyde was completely out of the apartment. She shot her eyes to the phone on her night stand and threw her magazine across the room as she crawled to it. She dialed Donna's number as fast as she could, gripping onto the phone for dear life.

"Donna, it's Jackie, you have to come over now!" Jackie listened to her friend on the other line and rolled her eyes. "Look you lumberjack, I don't care if you're eating right now. I'm going through a crisis right now and that is way more important than you missing one of your seven meals during the day."

Jackie hung up the phone, darting her eyes all around the room. Crap. Now what was she going to do?

* * *

**AN2: **If you haven't yet, check out my other story that I've been writing with elphabacan "That 70's Slasher Movie". The very last chapter will be updated tomorrow, so if you haven't started yet, you can read it in it's entirety. REVIEW! 


	7. Ch 7: Next Moves

**AN: **So, this is probably the most comedic chapter I've ever written. This also contains my first attempt at a circle scene. Hopefully I succeeded at keeping everyone in character and actually making this humorous for you guys. Thanks to each and every reviewer that has left me a review, and a special thanks to the reviewers who continue to review each one of my chapters. I love reading what you guys think of this story just as much as I love writing this.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 7: Next Moves

Jackie squeezed onto her pillow as she sat at the end of the bed next to Donna. Donna couldn't help but think that this position was all too familiar compared to the last time Jackie had to talk with her about Hyde.

"So he said he is going to _show _you that he's different?" Donna asked again, a little shocked herself at the conversation that Jackie had just animatedly retold to her. Jackie nodded affirmatively. "What does that even mean?"

"I don't know!" Jackie cried, throwing her arms in the air. "The most effort Steven has put into our relationship is beating up Michael when he's being sleazy. I can't even imagine what he's thinking."

Jackie groaned and hugged tightly onto the pillow again. "Oh, Donna. I just don't know what to do. I mean, I can't just take him back! He hurt me way too much regardless if he remembers or not." Jackie shook her head pathetically. "This would be so much easier if he wasn't so incredibly hot. I swear I almost jumped him when he was saying all those things to me. It was like… like he owned me or something."

Donna scrunched her face in disgust and confusion, but her features lightened as she laughed at her petite friend. "You're such a perv, Jackie."

"Hey!" Jackie shouted. "I haven't had sex for a long time!" Jackie's eyes widened as realization dawned on her. "Oh, no. I now know how Fez feels when he's rambling about his needs. I'm Fez, Donna. I'M FEZ!"

Donna grabbed Jackie by the shoulders, steadying her body in order to get her full attention. "Calm done, midget! We'll figure something out. Right now I'm not sure whether to hose you down or just let you have at Hyde."

"Well," Jackie pondered the idea. "A good friend would just hose me down, but I'm wearing cashmere and I'll kick you if you do that."

"Well, do you think you'll be okay, or am I going to have to lock you up so you don't sneak into Hyde's closest or something equally Fezzian?"

Jackie pouted. "I think I'll be okay."

Donna let go of her shoulders and settled on the bed again. Jackie lied down with her feet still hanging off the edge. Donna crawled backwards and lied down next to her, both staring up at the ceiling with their starry eyes.

"It doesn't help that he shaved his mustache off either, you know?" Jackie murmured. Donna turned her head, noticing the sad slant of Jackie's frown.

"Well, if you want to be with him so much, why don't you just forgive him?" Donna offered, hoping that Jackie's response would enlighten her on the choice she had to make soon.

Jackie gave a long winded sigh, shaking her head from side to side. "I wish it was that easy, Donna. He hurt me so much, and I know I wasn't exactly innocent in the whole situation. We're just never going to want the same thing from each other at the same time." Jackie sniffled and rubbed her eyes. "And besides, I've thought about it, and this amnesia thing could make everything worse. If we get back together, a year from now we'll just have the same fight like last time. We'll never get through the real issues."

Donna frowned. Jackie's words couldn't be more hauntingly relevant to her.

"Jackie, I think I'm going to break up with Eric."

Jackie whipped her head in Donna's direction. She sat up on her elbows, confusion changing her pretty features into a perplexed look. "What? Why?"

Donna rolled off the bed, landing on her feet with a thud. She nervously started to pace in front of the foot of Jackie's bed as Jackie's eyes followed her back and forth stalking. "Because I'm not happy! I mean, I love Eric. I love him more than I know why sometimes, but I just can't get over that he just broke up with me while he was gone, you know?"

Jackie nodded, mesmerized by Donna's rant. This was the most emotion she had show Jackie about the Eric situation in a long time.

"I know he said he did it because he didn't want to hold me back, but how can I be so sure." Panic struck a chord in Donna, her face straining in fear. "What if he just did it so he could hook up with random African sluts? I'm sure they have sluts in Africa just like in Wisconsin."

"Yeah," Jackie piped in. "Have you seen their pictures in National Geographic? They walk around without tops on!"

"It's like you said. I can't forgive him so easily. He hurt me! He has to do more than that to get me to forgive him. I mean, it's like how I just took him back after he ditched me at the wedding rehearsal. I was so embarrassed and hurt, but I just took him back without even talking about it." Donna sat back down next to Jackie, sorrow welling up in her eyes. "I never really forgave him. I just ignored it."

Jackie nodded her head and wrapped her arms around Donna's shoulders. Donna rested her head on Jackie's shoulder, her mind still worrying away about the consequences of breaking up with Eric. "Do you think I'm making the right decision?"

Jackie pulled away, digging deep inside, trying to think of the best words that would ease her friend's worries. "Yeah. Where is the feminist Donna we all know? Steven and Eric can't take our love for granted anymore."

Donna sadly nodded her head, knowing that Jackie was right. Eric couldn't take her for granted anymore, and she was just going to have to show him that.

Jackie folded her hands in her lap, feeling unusually happy. She felt bad for Donna, but she was so happy to have her friend back. She didn't like to acknowledge it, but it hurt her really badly when Donna started hanging out with Sam.

"I'm really glad that we can do this again." Jackie admitted. Donna let a slight grin take over her features but wiped it away quick with her shame she had been harboring.

"I'm sorry, Jackie. You know… about the whole Sam thing. I took our friendship for granted. I'm no better than those idiots." Donna fiddled with Jackie's bedspread. "I don't even know why I became friends with her. She wasn't even that fun to hang out with."

Jackie nodded her head, but she still felt a little hurt by Donna's words. However, she wasn't going to push it. She could hear the sincerity in her voice and the nervous laugh that told her she was just uncomfortable with admitting that she was wrong. For now, she was satisfied.

"It's okay, Donna. I forgive you. I don't really understand it, but I forgive you." Jackie straightened up, smoothing out her skirt. "You just better be glad that I'm a very forgiving person, Donna."

Donna laughed again, happy that Jackie wasn't rubbing it in too badly. She really didn't know why she expected it to be that way though. Jackie never was one to pour salt in a person's wounds intentionally. She was relieved. She knew she would need Jackie's support if she was really going to go through with this Eric break up.

Both girls became silent, worrying away at their bottom lips with their teeth as they thought of the men in their lives that they loved unconditionally. Donna panned her head to Jackie and noticed her distraught face being plagued by the thoughts spinning around in her head.

"So, what are you going to do about Hyde?" Donna carefully asked.

Jackie sighed and shook her head, hoping that maybe a solution would just dawn on her. When nothing came, she look to Donna and said, "I have no idea." Her plump, glossed lips frowned as she willed herself to admit her true feelings to Donna. "Don't tell anyone this, but I'm actually a little excited about it. I just can't help but want to see him try for us. I told myself that I would never get caught up in him again, but I'm afraid that it'll never be that simple."

Jackie cleared her throat and straightened her back, signaling to Donna that the issue was going to be laid to rest for now. "Now, whenever I do have to see Steven I want you to be there with me for support. You owe me with that stunt you pulled with Sam."

"Jackie," a slight furrow in Donna's eyebrows wormed on Donna's forehead. "I thought you just said that you forgave me for that."

"Yes, I did Donna, but until I'm really okay with it, I'm going to milk it for all its worth." Jackie scoffed. "Please, you know me better than that."

Donna hid a grin and simply answered with, "Whatever." Really, she didn't mind so much. She was just glad that some things were getting back to normal.

* * *

All the guys sat around the circular spool table, breathing in the after smoke of Hyde's secret stash, which to his relieving surprise was in exactly the same place he last remembered putting it. The smoke suspended in the air around them, a stoner's fog hovering just above their heads, but of course they were too far blown to notice.

Hyde looked around at his buddies, a goofy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So I think I really got through to Jackie today. She wasn't saying anything, but it was obvious she wanted me."

Kelso stifled a laugh in his hands and tried, but failed, to put on a face of seriousness on. "How did you manage that, man?"

Hyde didn't notice or didn't care about Kelso's inability to respond without giggling like a goon. "You just have to know what buttons to push with Jackie. I just happen to be an expert at it."

Fez smiled at everyone. "Yes, he told her that she was his lady and he'd fight for their love. I was listening outside the door."

"Wow, Hyde." Eric said through a toothy grin. "You really pushed Jackie's buttons alright. Hey, maybe next time you can carve your names in a tree and skip off into the sunset. That'll really get under her skin."

"But make sure you check for bees first." Kelso shook his finger at Hyde. "Oh, and don't tell her she looks like a puffer fish after she swells up from the stings."

Hyde grunted and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"And you probably shouldn't try the skipping either." Fez's face fell into a frown. "Apparently it's unmanly and embarrassing just like when I model ladies' heels for her when we go shoe shopping." Fez waved his hands mockingly and shook his head. "There is nothing unmanly about wanting to show off my beautiful calves."

Eric turned his slightly frightened look away from the foreigner and let his eyes fall straight ahead at Hyde again. "So what's your plan to get Jackie back?"

Eric stared at Hyde expectantly, and Kelso followed suit by folding his arms and planting a knowing grin on his smug face.

Hyde dodged around his eyes as he tried to think. "Crap. I have nothing. I only planned up to this point."

Kelso began laughing hysterically at Hyde's expense. "You're so screwed, man. And you have no idea how different Jackie is now that you totally dumped her for a stripper. I mean, I proposed to her and she said no… to me!"

Hyde's sneered at Kelso, his jaw tight, like a bull ready to charge. "What?"

"Hey," Fez called, not catching onto the hint of murder in Hyde's voice. "I don't know why you're so mad at him. I dated her for Pete's sake."

Hyde slowly rotated his head to stare menacingly at Fez. Fez continued grinning until he met Hyde's eyes. He looked like he was about to be sick. "Ai, no"

Those were Fez's last words before Hyde lunged at him, tackling him to the ground with his fists flying. Eric glanced down at the one sided brawl, completely uninterested.

"You know, I always wondered where "For Pete's Sake" came from. People say it all the time, but does anyone really know who this Pete guy is?"

Kelso nodded his head and then jumped back on the couch when an idea popped in his mind. "Oh, I bet it has to do with Pete and Repeat. Do you know how many times Pete falls off that fence? It's like he just keeps falling over and over again forever!"

Hyde climbed back in his chair, slightly winded from the pounding he just gave Fez and the rage boiling inside of him. "So anyone else want to admit to putting the moves on Jackie where my memory seems to be blocked? What about you Foreman?"

Fez also climbed up in his seat with his hair ruffled and his bottom lip starting to swell. "Oh please. Eric wouldn't know how to handle a woman like Jackie if he even did win her heart."

"Hmm." Eric put his finger to his mouth in contemplation. "If I remember correctly, Fez, according to Donna, you and Jackie never even had sex."

Kelso pointed and laughed at Fez. "Man, you were with Jackie and you didn't even do it with her? What's the fun in that if you can't rub it in Hyde's face that you gave it to the girl that he loves like a billion times?"

Hyde clothes lined Kelso to the ground, pinning him against the floor until he hit him right in his sweet spot.

"Ow, my eye!"

"You know, you guys are really bringing down the circle with all this Jackie talk. New circle rule: no one talks about Jackie because her dark powers over you guys are a total buzz kill." Eric proposed.

"Well, if that's the case then I am leaving." Fez said angrily as he cupped his chin. "Good day."

"But Fez…" Eric called after him, holding out his arms.

"I said good day!"

* * *

Jackie and Donna walked their way up the Foreman's driveway, whispering to each other about their predictions of how the events in the basement were going to play out. Donna decided that she would get it over with and break up with Eric that night. Jackie was coming over for emotional support and to ignore Hyde some more.

Their words of encouragement were disrupted by Fez's angry stomps as he stormed down the driveway. Jackie held out a hand, abruptly stopping him by standing in his path.

"What happened to you, Fez?" Jackie asked in genuine concern.

"What happened is that ass of an ex boyfriend of yours beat me up after I told him you and I used to date. I haven't been this roughed up since Fenton and I fought over who would introduce themselves first to the new tenant on the third floor."

Jackie scrunched up her nose with an uncomfortable face. "But Fez, the new tenant on the third floor is a man."

Fez laughed and shook a negative hand. "Sherry is not a man, Jackie. She is a beautiful, tall woman just like our Donna here."

"No," Jackie corrected. "Sherry is a cross dresser, Fez. Haven't you ever noticed the Adam's apple?"

All the blood in Fez's gaunt face drained, and he gulped down the shock of this news. "O-o-h-h." He stuttered. "I see."

Fez walked passed them and stopped once he made it to the end of the driveway. "If Sherry comes around anytime soon, it was another Fez that gave her… or him… the flowers."

Jackie and Donna's faces were mirror images of each others, each looking equally horrified.

"Oh, god." Jackie moaned, holding her stomach in fear.

"I know." Donna cringed. "Fez hit on a guy."

Jackie rolled her eyes and swatted Donna on the shoulder. "Not that, you lumberjack. Steven beat up Fez because he was jealous that we dated. You know I can't control myself when Steven starts punching other guys for me."

"So, you can't resist Hyde when he's being a total male chauvinist pig?" Donna shook her head in disgust. "You know it's girls like you who are holding the feminist movement back."

Jackie rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Please. Who cares about feminism, Donna? They're just a bunch of angry women who are mad that they weren't pretty or popular in high school. We have more important issues to deal with, like you breaking nerd boy's heart and me torturing Steven by being just as uncaring as he used to be."

Donna looked worriedly towards the basement door, forgetting about how morally and socially wrong Jackie's statement just was. "Do you really think I'll break his heart?"

"Well you better." Jackie demanded. "He needs to believe that he royally screwed up so that he can really miss you and work his ass off to win you back."

"So is this what you're doing with Hyde?" Donna asked, needing some assurance.

Jackie licked her try lips and tucked them together into a fine line as she realized she might have let a little too much personal emotion slip into that declaration. "No… well… I don't know. As of right now, I'm just torturing him to torture him."

Donna looked back to the door and took a big breath, readying herself to go for it. "Alright, let's go."

Back inside the basement, Kelso was nursing his eye with a popsicle encased in plastic wrapping. Hyde angrily tapped his foot on the ground as he sat in his chair, still trying to calm down after the double ass kickings he had to give. Eric just stared off into space, coming down from his high.

Donna and Jackie waltzed through the door with their heads held high in mock confidence. Jackie tried looking everywhere but in Hyde's general direction, and Donna bounced back and forth on her heels and toes as she waited to get Eric's attention. Eric looked to his girlfriend, relieved to finally see her. Ever since his conversation with Hyde earlier that day, he had been wanting to talk to her about why she has been acting so weird. He stood up from the lawn chair and shoved his hands nervously in his pockets. Donna bit her lip and looked over to Jackie who only nodded her head, assuring her that now was the time.

"Eric…"

"Donna…"

They both laughed nervously, and everyone in the room was now staring at them, waiting for someone to just make a move. Donna finally found her courage.

"Eric, I think we should talk."

"I think so too, Donna." Eric placed his hand on the small of her back and led her outside of the basement. Jackie nodded at Donna again when they made eye contact. Once they were gone, Jackie suddenly felt that it might have been a horrible idea to accompany Donna on this trip. She could feel Hyde's angry eyes scanning her body, egging her to look at him. She only allowed her eyes to slightly cross Hyde's path as she panned her view to her other ex boyfriend who sat pitifully on the couch with a popsicle on his eye.

"What happened to your eye, Michael?" Jackie asked.

Before Kelso could answer, Hyde spoke up, forcing Jackie to finally set her eyes on him. "I punched him after he told me about how he proposed to you."

Jackie felt heat building in her cheeks and her chest. She should have known. The only time Michael's eye was ever hurt was when Steven punched him. She silently cursed herself as Hyde pushed himself off his chair and stalked over to the spot she found her body frozen, standing on the floor. "And before that, I beat up Fez because apparently, you guys dated after we broke up."

Jackie suddenly didn't find Hyde's over aggressive nature so appealing anymore. She met his eyes behind his rose colored glasses, feeling her hands shake with the anger bubbling in her belly.

"After you married some skanky stripper." She snapped back, warning him with her eyes to keep his distance.

Hyde closed his eyes in frustration, feeling like his head was going to blow right off his neck. "But it's Fez, Jackie! You've always thought he was a creepy pervert."

"Don't blame any of this on me, Steven. Fez and I are broken up now because I realized that the only reason I dated him was because I became so disillusioned by the pain of you betraying our love. So you can just go to hell, Steven!"

Jackie turned around and stomped towards the door. She looked back at Hyde who was still bitter about the situation but not arguing back. "Oh, and if you think all of this macho kicking everyone's ass crap is going to get me back, well think again mister!"

Hyde shut his eyes as the slam of the door sent hateful vibrations through his body. Kelso whistling from the couch reminded him that it wasn't just he and Jackie in the room during that fight. He swore under his breath and turned to face his bruised friend.

"Man, Jackie is really pissed."

"I don't know." Hyde shrugged. "I see this as an improvement."

Kelso looked at Hyde as if he were the stupid one of the group. "What?"

"Well, at least she's talking to me now."

* * *

Eric and Donna leaned up against the front bumper of the Vista Cruiser. The sunset painted the Wisconsin sky in beautiful shades of orange and purple as night began to roll upon the quiet town. Donna kept squeezing her hands inside the pockets of her jacket, wanting to just give up and ignore this situation all together. But she knew if she did that, she would never be happy with herself. The only way she could see their relationship improving was to do this. She just hoped he wouldn't be too devastated and not come after her.

Eric cleared his throat. He was never good with awkward silences, and Donna didn't seem like she was going to start talking anytime soon.

"Donna, I was talking to Hyde today, about us and…"

"I want to break up Eric."

The look in Eric's eyes from her interrupting confessions pierced through Donna's chest. She held a sob deep in her throat, trying to will herself to continue. "I'm not okay with how you just left for Africa without discussing it with me, and how you just broke up with me while you were away."

"Donna," Eric pleaded, grabbing for her hands that were still in her pockets. He settled with holding one of her arms. "No, don't do this. We can talk about this. I'm sorry."

"No, Eric." Donna said through clenched teeth. "You hurt me and you are going to have to do more than that. I'm tired of always being the one that gets hurt by you. And it's not just Africa! It's the wedding, too. Hell, it's even about when you gave me that promise ring."

"But Donna, you don't just have to break up with me. We'll talk about it. We'll talk about all of that."

Donna pulled herself out of Eric's grip and backed down the driveway, away from him. "I have to do this, Eric. I agree that we have to talk about all of those things. I just can't be with you right now. I'm not going to take you back that easily again."

Jackie stormed out of the basement, tears rolling down her pink cheeks. She grabbed Donna by the arm, holding her hand as they walked down the driveway together. Eric watched them as they got into Jackie's car and drove away to wait for their guys to make the next move.

* * *

**AN2: **The joke about Pete and Repeat is actually an idea my brother proposed to me last night :P. So kudos to him on that. 


	8. Ch 8: The Unexpected

**AN: **I'm so sorry this took so long. I had a little bit of a writer's block and then I had some ill times with writer's motivation. Luckily that didn't last too long. More questions should be cleared up in this chapter, especially about why I totaled the El Camino. There is also some JH interaction in here that I think everyone will enjoy. The reviews for last chapter were awesome and you guys really boosted my confidence.

Review!

* * *

Chapter 8: The Unexpected

Hyde rolled over in his bed and looked at the clock. He had 3 hours until he had to be at his next psychiatrist's appointment. He groaned into his fluffy, feather pillow. The looming sleepiness weighing heavy on his eyes was just so tempting. If he let himself relax for just a second, he could be dreaming about endless supplies of weed and meeting Zeppelin, but instead, he was wide awake with his waking dream plaguing his thoughts.

The image was much clearer now. The background no longer appeared gray, but instead had an off white shade. The lamp just above his angel's head was bolted to the wall in an upturned fashion, with a tiny yellow shade over the bulb. Fluorescent lighting filled the room and Hyde figured he must have been in some type of store. Just behind his woman in white was a tiny room with picture frames up on the walls. He felt his body pull closer to the woman, who was still as blurry as before. As he approached her, her white dress became clearer, hugging her body in all the right places. Lacy frills lined her impeccable shoulders, and a white waterfall halo cascaded down the back of her head, making her glow with radiance. He looked to her face and…

Nothing.

Hyde rubbed his eyes, the image burned in his brain. Hyde couldn't get over how weird this dream was and how it kept reoccurring while he was awake. He was beginning to question the validity that this was even a dream at all.

Hyde shook his head and sat up in bed. This past week had just been hard on him, that's all. He hadn't seen Jackie at all. Fez was really throwing down the hammer in not letting him in. Beating him up really didn't help his chances much. Plus, it wouldn't be long until Jackie finally ended the whole argument by slamming the door in his face. Other than one encounter at the Hub that ended just as badly, Hyde hadn't had a chance to talk to her about anything. She and Donna had locked themselves in her apartment hiding from him and Eric. Not like Eric was doing much to get Donna back anyways. Hyde had started training at the record store again, and every night when he came home, he found Eric sitting on the basement couch in his underwear, moping about Donna breaking up with him. It was probably the most pathetic sight Hyde had remembered seeing, and he tried on many occasions to tell Eric just that. But of course, Eric didn't even pick up on his hints.

Hyde was still at odds with the Jackie situation. He still couldn't figure out a way to prove to her exactly how much she meant to him. He was never good with words, but he thought even people who were couldn't voice his feelings. He knew that even if he tried, he would stumble and make a complete ass of himself. He didn't even want to bother. He literally had to _show_ Jackie that he was serious about her. He couldn't imagine getting caught up in a situation where he led her to believe otherwise. They were happy from the last he could remember, but then again Eric and Donna were happy too. He thought if anyone could make it in this world, they could. That's what was always expected from that pair. He thought back to sitting in the hospital bed when Eric and Donna told him that they ended up not getting married. It would be a bold face lie if he said that he didn't compare his relationship with Jackie to theirs at the moment. He knew back then that they were way too young to begin considering marriage, but he figured they would come around eventually. After everything was over, he wondered if maybe he felt the same way then only worse. Maybe seeing his friends fall apart because of marriage really discouraged him to even consider it with Jackie.

That didn't explain marrying the stripper though. Nothing he could come up with explained that.

Hyde turned on his bedside lamp and looked around his bedroom. What could he do for the next 3 hours? The first thought that popped into his mind was having a little private circle time. Maybe it would clear his head a little. Trying to constantly figure things out that linked back into the past two years he had missed out on really gave him a headache. It was like a continuous game of chess except this version he was really bad at. Every single time that he checked over the game board several times, making sure that no possible pieces could interfere, he would make his move and immediately lose another man. His losing streak only continued to get worse. Hyde dropped to his hand, cast, and knees on the cold, concrete floor, searching under his bed for his tin. Once located in the shadows, he reached his arm to grab it, his knuckles grazing a shoe box. Usually, the random object under his bed wouldn't catch his attention, but Hyde had nothing better to do. Along with the tin, he dragged out the little shoe box, stacking it on top to bring with him on his bed.

He studied the shoebox for a second and immediately recognized it as the box that once held the boots Jackie bought for him way back when she started stalking him. He smirked at the memory. It was a bit ironic how the tables had suddenly turned. If someone would have told him then that he would be beating down Jackie's door everyday just to talk to her, he would have told them that would only happen when he died and gone to Hell. Well, he didn't exactly die, but this life was pretty close to Hell if he could imagine one. Hyde shook his head despondently._ Yeah, I must be in way deeper than I thought if I just compared life without Jackie to Hell. _Hyde sighed and opened up the box, finding that it was filled with random junk. Sitting on top was a white clip that Jackie wore in her hair all the time. He picked up the smooth plastic, rubbing it in his fingers as he delved deeper into the box. A stack of folded notebook paper sat in the very corner and another stack of pictures was just next to it. Hyde immediately knew what this was. Around when he and Jackie first started dating, she gave him pictures of herself that she demanded he keep. When she noticed that they weren't framed and hanging all around his room, she told him he better keep them or she would kick his shins. So, he complied and it was only slightly intentional that he chose this shoebox. Soon, Jackie started writing him notes at school, so everyday he would come home with a little folded piece of paper in his pocket. He would always just toss it in the box.

All of the other stuff he didn't remember putting in there, such as the hair clip. A pink scarf that Hyde assumed also came from Jackie's hair lay bunched in the opposite corner of the notes. Next to it was a card with a Christmas tree on the front. He grabbed a corner and picked the card up, opening to read what was inside. Jackie's hand writing swirled the words, "_I know that we are anything anymore. We're not even really friends. I wanted to get you a card anyways. Merry Christmas, Steven." _It was dated for 1979. She must have just given it to him a few months before. Bells started ringing off in Hyde's head. They weren't together then. Even she said they weren't anything, but he still kept the card. He got Christmas cards every year from Mrs. Foreman and others, but he only kept her card and put it in her box.

Hyde smiled to himself. It was perfect.

He put the tin and the box back underneath his bed, too overcome with excitement about his discovery to want to get high at this moment. He threw some clothes on and made his way up the basement steps. Waiting for him in the kitchen was Kitty and his dad, WB. Over the past week, Hyde had started to get to know WB "again" through training at the store and a few lunches. He could tell WB was a little hurt by his memory loss. He was trying everything he could to get them on friendly terms and a little too fast in Hyde's opinion. Finding out that his dad really wasn't who he thought he was and then becoming best buds with the guy that was supposedly his real father wasn't something Hyde was used to.

"Steven!" Kitty exclaimed, jumping from her seat at the round kitchen table. WB stood up also, straightening his suit as he grinned at his son.

"What's going on?" Hyde asked, catching on quickly that something involving him was in the works.

Kitty looked up at WB with a smile, directing him with her eyes for him to speak. WB cleared his throat and held out his arm towards the sliding glass door. "I have a surprise for you, son."

Kitty and WB waited expectantly as Hyde lifted his eyebrows at the two. "Alright."

Hyde walked to the sliding door hearing Kitty giggle with excitement as he slid open the glass. He took two steps outside when he saw it. Sitting in the driveway was his beautiful and unscratched black El Camino. The sun's rays hit the paint just right, and Hyde was in total awe. He could feel his jaw hanging loose from his face, but he didn't care to fix his expression. As far as he was concerned, the El Camino was laid to rest with the weird junk yard mechanic. Seeing his baby before him was like seeing a ghost whose arrival one was actually quite pleased to see. A strong hand clasped down on Hyde's shoulder. He turned his gaze to WB who beamed ahead at the car. A light fluttering near his broken arm caused him to look the other way where he found Kitty bouncy on her toes with glee. He had to admit. He was pretty happy himself.

Hyde walked away from the two to get a better look. He stood in front of the car, looking for any indication of the marks from the accident. He saw none. There was no way this was his original car. No one could fix that kind of damage this fast. He looked to WB who still had a jolly grin on his face, except now he was staring at Hyde instead of the car.

"After the accident," he began explaining. "I started searching for another one. I found this from some guy in Wyoming actually." He gave a hearty chuckle and put his hand to his chest. "I had to pay him a lot of money for this car, but, I thought it would be worth it."

Hyde closed his jaw, nodding his head approvingly. It looked just like his car, almost an exact replica. The interior was the same, the paint job, the excellent condition. Someone cared about this car as much as he cared about his. It meant something to them.

A wave of melancholy and realization rolled over Hyde, turning his happy mood on its ass. He drew out a sigh and walked away from the car, facing his now confused father.

"I don't think I can take this car, WB."

WB's eyes opened wide with surprise. "What?"

Hyde folded his arms and looked back at the car. "It's just that Leo gave me the other El Camino. It just holds a really special meaning."

Hyde watched carefully as WB took his words into consideration. The liveliness in his features drained slowly and he gulped uncomfortably a few times. Hyde suddenly wanted to take back his words. He looked to the car again. He really did need a car. He was tired of Foreman having to tote his ass around. Also, Hyde probably had a better memory than Leo. Leo probably won't even think anything's different.

"Well," WB finally said. "I guess I can just take it back to the guy."

"Wait." Hyde called. He caught Mrs. Foreman's hopeful eyes, encouraging him to change his mind. "Well, maybe I can take this car." Hyde grew uncomfortable under his shirt while WB listened with a little more hope. "I mean, this can have a special meaning too. You know, because you're my dad and you're just trying to help me out."

WB nodded his head and his smile appeared on his face again. "Yeah, well, that is what I'm trying to do."

Hyde shoved his hands in his pockets and WB started fiddling with his watch. Kitty stared on in disbelief. She waited patiently for a few more seconds, hoping that the sweet moment between the two would continue, or maybe possibly they would address that it even happened. _Men. _She scoffed inside her head.

"So," Kitty hummed. "Don't you boys have something else to say?"

Hyde and WB exchanged confused and uncomfortable glances from each other to Kitty and back to each other again.

"Oh, thanks for the car." Hyde said.

WB smiled. "No problem, son."

Kitty rolled her eyes and stalked back into the house.

* * *

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Nick asked, peering amusingly over at the brooding young man.

"Nope." Hyde answered. "It's a big part of who I am."

Nick smirked while twirling his pen in his hand. "Why? You seem like a guy that has a lot to say about things."

Hyde stuck his chin in the air pensively. "I guess you could say that. But in this situation, we're supposed to be talking about me. I don't care too much to discuss myself all the time."

"Most people usually love to talk about themselves." Nick offered.

Hyde rolled his eyes beneath his shades. "Yeah, tell me about it. I know about five people who are just like that."

Nick sat up further in his seat, picking up on an opening. "So they probably don't listen very much then?"

Hyde was about to agree but then an exception entered his mind. "No, one of them listens." Late nights of Jackie chattering away, lying next to him on his cot filled his mind. She could talk for hours, but as soon as he said something, she would shut her mouth just to listen. That's what really made her different from the others. She always stopped to listen.

Hyde cleared his throat and continued. "But the rest of them are always complaining about the problems in their lives expecting me to give them advice."

"Do they still depend on you like that since your accident?"

Hyde pursed his lips in thought. "Not really." He shook his head. "Things are just different between everyone since I last remember."

Hyde suddenly realized his comfort zone levels had really loosened. He slouched further on the couch and Nick caught onto his defensive position.

"Anything different about what you last remember? Are anymore memories popping up?"

Hyde shook his head, but inside he was wondering if he should tell Nick about his dream. Maybe strange dreams about angels in stores were common among people with his condition. Maybe with all of the education he had about the human mind, he could explain to him why it only appeared to him while he was awake and its detail enhanced each time. It was quite a jump for Hyde, to admit something abnormal about himself willing. He knew if he told any of his friends, they would burn him endlessly in the same exact way he would do to them. However, it was confusing him so much; he was really questioning the boundaries he always set for himself. Besides, all of this was confidential.

"Well, I've…" Hyde stumbled a little, taking another step back, questioning whether he should or not. He met Nick's expectant eyes and knew it was too late to turn back. "I've been sort of having this reoccurring dream, but it doesn't happen when I'm asleep."

Nick's eyebrow turned sharply upwards on his forehead. "Well, what happens in this dream?"

Hyde subconsciously rubbed his cast thinking of the best way to word it. "Well, I'm in this store and there is this woman standing in front of me. I don't know what she looks like just that she is wearing this long white dress. But the first time I had it I didn't even know I was in a store. Each time it happens, I can see things more clearly."

Nick held out his hand, offering Hyde a suggestion. "Do you think that it's possible that this isn't a dream? That it could be a memory?"

Hyde pondered the idea. Why hadn't that occurred to him before? His mind wandered back to the woman. "No, I don't think so." His voice hung his words out to dry.

"Why not?"

"It just doesn't feel like a memory. In my memories I feel a certain way, but in this…" He paused for just a second, censoring his words. "I've never felt this way before."

Nick nodded his head at his patient who was slowly becoming unwound. "Maybe that's why it's important. It made you feel differently."

* * *

Hyde held the shoebox in his hand continuing his daily routine: get daily necessities out of the way such as work and doctor's appointments and then try to get Jackie to let him inside. If it wasn't for the fact that he literally had his plan sitting in his palm, he would feel dejected and hopeless like most days. Today, however, he just felt nauseous.

Jackie, Donna, and Fez all sat in the living room having another one of their girl talks. Donna sulked pitifully on one end of the couch, checking off in her mind that this was another day that Eric wouldn't come for her. Jackie kept looking up at the clock, reminding herself that Hyde showed up around this time for her. Fez just happily munched on M&Ms he had bought after working at the salon for the day. A knock bounced off the door, each one of them sharing nervous glances. Fez walked his way over to the door, peering into the peephole while Donna and Jackie eagerly looked on.

"It's Hyde." Fez said.

Donna sighed and Jackie tried to put her annoyed face on. Fez turned around uncomfortably, quickly noticing the looks on both of his friends' faces. "Well, at least they're persistent."

Donna got up from the couch to sulk in Jackie's bedroom while Jackie tossed her hair over her shoulder in defiance. "Well, I don't want to talk to him if he still has nothing new to say to me."

"He has some kind of box."

Jackie sat up from the couch and marched over to the door. Fez quickly backed off and retreated into the other room, only to listen through the door.

Jackie ran her fingers through her hair and straightened her blouse. She opened the door expecting a smug Steven, proud that he finally had something to offer her, but instead he stood in the hallway nervously, his face reminding her of when he came to Chicago for her. Her defensive need to push him away melted, and she stood back to let him in. She eyed the box in his hand, noticing quickly that it probably wasn't a present for her. It better not be. She imagined he had enough knowledge of her to know she wouldn't accept a present encased in a dinky shoe box.

As they sat down on the couch, Jackie pointed to the box and asked, "What's that?"

Hyde handed the box over to her and cleared his throat to speak. She might have been the easiest to talk to, but it was the hardest for him to do things like this for her. "It's something that I found under my bed today, and I thought that you would really like to see it."

Jackie looked down at the box and fingered the sides of the lid. She slightly feared what the contents inside would be, but as always, her curiosity overpowered that sensation. She slowly opened the lid, her eyes fluttering once she recognized the contents inside.

"Some of the stuff in there I remember, like the pictures and the notes. I remember the clip too. I just don't remember putting it in there." Jackie only scanned over the materials, but once her eyes fell on a familiar Christmas card off to the side, she couldn't tear herself away. She picked up the card and opened it up, proving to herself that what she assumed was true.

"You kept this?" She asked in a whisper, presenting the card to him.

Hyde heard the shiver in her voice, solidifying in his mind his assumption that this card meant a lot to her. Whenever Jackie went out of her way to do something, especially for him, there usually was another hidden message behind it. Even though Hyde couldn't remember, he knew that accepting her card and keeping it in her box must have meant something too.

"Well, I don't remember you giving this to me. I'm guessing it was this past Christmas from the date on the card, when we were broken up. But, I thought you should see it, because… well…"

Jackie filled in the rest of his yielding explanation with the words she had already conjured up in her head. All those months that she spend wondering whether he still cared about her or not were coming back to her. He accepted her card, and he didn't just throw it away like she suspected. He kept it in this box filled with things from her, things he thought were special. The icy chains that had held her head still for so long evaporated in that one single moment.

Her silence was killing Hyde. He needed to hear her say something, anything at all. He wasn't sure if her stunned stillness was from shock of happiness or anger. He decided to test the waters before his thoughts really started to spin out of control. "So, is this a good thing to you? I mean, I thought it was…"

Jackie turned her head to him and looked up into his shaded eyes. Over the years she had easily found a way to still see parts of him through the dark glass. As she stared at him and he stared at her the clouds covering her insecurities and doubts cleared away. "Yes, Steven, this is a good thing."

He wanted to kiss her, but he wasn't sure if the intense look they still hadn't broken meant he had permission to or not. He parted his lips in anticipation, but then closed them again once she broke their connection by looking away. He patiently watched her bite her lip and tap her foot as she tried to decide what her next move should be. After a few moments of still not saying anything, Hyde started to grow nervous again. If she sat there thinking too long, she might just think her way out of choosing him.

"Well?"

Jackie turned her eyes on him again, unnerved that he wouldn't just let her take all her time to come up with the perfect move. He had caught her off guard and she slowly felt herself slipping to him again. She sighed and threw her hands in the air in defeat. "I don't know. I guess… I guess that I might give you another chance. But.." She pointed at him, her stomach turning at the grin on his face. "This does not mean we are back together. We're just… talking."

"Talking?" Hyde asked, confused by her meaning.

"Yes," Jackie nodded her head and stated firmly, "Talking."

Hyde sighed and looked around the room. He snuck his eyes over to her again as an idea popped into his mind. "I guess I could live with that."

Jackie smiled up at him, feeling her heart race like a hummingbird as a sly grin crept on his face.

"For now."

* * *

**AN2: **The next chapter is pretty clear in my mind so it shouldn't take too long for me to get it up, but if for some weird reason it does, I apologize in advance. 


	9. Ch 9: Broken Hearts

**AN: **I'm so so so sorry I didn't update sooner. I was really, really sick all weekend and then I had Freshman Orientation on Tuesday and Wednesday. I didn't even get to start writing until yesterday. Hopefully this update was worth the wait. There isn't too much JH in this, but its mostly to set up for the HUGE JH chapter that is to come next. Fenton also makes a guest appearance in this, so if you love him as much as I do, you should enjoy it.

Read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 9: Broken Hearts

Jackie and Donna sat slouched on the couch watching some sappy day time television soap opera with numbly brain dead looks drooping on their faces. Donna glumly turned her head to lay her eyes on Jackie who was too busy chewing on her thumb nail and hanging on the words over dramatically being yelled by the actors on the TV.

"Do you think I should just go talk to him?" Donna asked, her sad eyes pleading for Jackie to just give in.

Jackie puckered her lips to the side becoming very perturbed by Donna's pestering. "No Donna. He has to come to you. Remember? You're tired of him not fighting for you?"

Donna stuck out her bottom lip in a pitiful protest. "But what if he thinks I need space. Eric tends to read into these things wrongly."

"Well if he's going to be that way then you're better off without him, Donna. You don't want him to be taking you for granted the rest of your life, do you?" Jackie patted Donna on the knee and her attention diverted back to the soap.

"Easy for you to say," Donna mumbled bitterly. "Your guy has actually come for you."

Jackie huffed in her seat and crossed her arms. "Do you think this whole experience has been easy for me?" Her eyebrows raised in an arch across her brow. "Steven stabbed me in the back way worse than anything Eric has done to you, and he keeps tempting me to forgive him with all of these out of character gestures that are really really working."

Donna turned her pensive eyes to the ceiling as Jackie sighed in defeat. "I don't know." Donna pondered. "It isn't _too _out of character. He fought for you like this right after he cheated on you with that nurse and Kelso was in the competition. And his memory doesn't go too far after that." Donna looked to Jackie again, the lines on her forehead revealing themselves from realization. "I guess you could say he's actually perfectly in character."

Jackie shrugged her shoulders but a small smile that she tried to hide teased at her lips. "I guess you're right."

"So what are you going to do when he gets his memory back?" Donna asked as she reached forward casually to grab some chips. She didn't notice the flicker of worry that blinked in Jackie's eyes.

"What is the possibility that his memory will come back?"

Donna was about to respond how she would typically answer this question, optimistic and hopeful, but she picked up on a shocking clue in Jackie's voice.

"Jackie," She eased into the question gently. "You do want Hyde to get his memory back, right?"

When Jackie didn't answer right away, Donna jumped from her slouched position on the couch, sitting fully erect for the first time in days. "Jackie!" She cried.

Jackie cringed at Donna's scolding tone and went back to biting her thumb nail. "I'm sorry, Donna. I just don't want the old Steven to come back, okay?!"

Donna's look softened as Jackie continued. "I really am falling for him again, Donna, and I don't want to lose him. I've lost him too much, and I think if it happens again, I just won't be able to handle it."

Donna quietly nodded, understanding what she meant. A sharp series of knocks vibrated off the front door, announcing their awaited acquaintance's arrival.

"Come in." Jackie called, not even bothering to move from her place on the couch.

Fenton waltzed into the apartment, his chin held high and his shoulders dancing smugly as he entered. "Look what I brought." His voice sang to Jackie and Donna as he presented a tub of ice cream with both hands. "The perfect medicine for a bug I've caught many times."

Donna reached for the tub and made room for Fenton to join them on the couch. "You've had guys take you for granted too, Fenton?"

Fenton snorted and rolled his eyes. "Oh please honey. Every man appreciates this," he gestured to himself, "to the fullest." He giggled at a distant memory that Jackie and Donna really didn't want to prod into.

"Maybe we should have been gay men, Donna." Jackie offered, spooning some ice cream out of the tub.

"Oh, you would make a great gay man, Jackie." Fenton nodded his head, swatting an effeminate hand her way. He then turned up his nose at Donna and lazily pointed, "This one, not so much."

Donna swallowed a spoonful of vanilla and turned to look to Fenton, clearly offended. "Now why can't I make a good gay man?"

Fenton rolled his eyes. "Well, if you have to ask then there is no sense in explaining."

Just then, Fez whistled a happy tune as he walked through the door, stopping dead in his tracks once he noticed Fenton sitting a little to comfortably for his liking on the couch. "Jackie," He folded his arms across his chest, keeping his line of vision dead center on his nemesis. "What is _he _doing here?"

Fenton smirked and stood up from the couch, preparing himself for his next battle with his favorite bantering partner. "Still feeling the burn of Sherry wanting me over you?"

"No." Fez steadied his stance and his voice began rising. "Not since I found out that Sherry isn't really a Sherry at all. Why didn't you tell me she was a man?"

Fenton let out one of his trademark muffled giggles and mischievously met Fez's eye. "Because it's funnier that way."

The two held their stare as Jackie tried to break up the queen showdown she just knew would erupt any second. "Fezzie, Fenton is just here for some girl talk with Donna and me."

Fez ripped his eyes from Fenton's glare, looking quite offended at the little pixie perched on the couch and leaning over its arm. "Why can't you have girl talk with me?"

Jackie looked back at Donna for a little help. Donna caught her pleading gaze and piped in her explanation. "Well you weren't home yet, Fez."

"I see." Fez's dark eyes narrowed, his furiousness reaching boiling levels. "So while I'm away, you replace me with this whore!"

Fenton gasped and Jackie jumped from her spot on the couch rushing over to Fez. "No, no, no Fezzie. We would never replace you. Fenton was just, uh, subbing for you."

"Yeah," Donna enthusiastically agreed. "Like a substitute teacher. It's okay temporarily but not as good as the real deal."

Fez still held his narrow stare with Fenton, but allowed Jackie to push his body towards his bed room. As soon as he let him guard down, Fenton retaliated.

"Closet case." He murmured and marched out of the apartment without turning to see Fez's flaming eyes.

Fez slammed his door causing Jackie to jump from the harsh noise that bounced off the walls and her ear drums. She looked at Donna apologetically and took a seat on the couch again, staring at the tub of ice cream as if it was now disgusting instead of helpful.

"I don't even want ice cream anymore." Donna announced, not even realizing that Jackie was thinking the same thing. "Are you sure that I shouldn't just go and talk to Eric?"

Jackie tossed her spoon into the tub and sighed. "Just give him one more day. I'm going to go see Steven later on anyways, and if I run into Eric to, I'll talk to him for you."

"What are you going to see Hyde about?" Donna curled up into the corner of the couch, temporarily satisfied with waiting for one more day.

"I actually sort of have a plan." Jackie ventured to admit, feeling the sting of Donna's wary eye.

"What sort of plan, Jackie?"

"I'm going to ask Steven to go on a date with me." Jackie covered her tracks with a false matter of fact tone and confidence. "If he passes my little test, well, I'm not sure after that, but I'll definitely be testing him."

Donna laughed at her scheming friend, rubbing her forehead to alleviate her mild irritation. "Didn't you try to do this with Kelso all those years ago? Look how wonderfully that turned out."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "This time is different, Donna. For one, Steven won't have you force feeding him the right answers."

Donna let a little grin play at the corners of her mouth. Jackie's expression didn't mirror her amusement. Her lips tightly puckered and her eyes bitchily waited for Donna to explain herself once again.

"I'm sorry." Donna finally gave in. "I already told you about this like 2 years ago. Are you still pissed?"

"Well, considering I have put you on friend probation, I'm bringing back all the old bitchy moves you did to me in the past that I chose to forgive and forget."

"I'm on friend probation?" Donna asked, clearly alarmed.

"Yes," Jackie rolled her eyes once again. At this rate, she feared they would get stuck like that if she continued this conversation with her friend. She loved Donna like a sister, but the girl could really be dense when it came to the code of conduct that she thought was just understood by all women. "Now stop asking questions. I'm trying to explain my plan to you."

Donna relaxed again, gesturing with her arms for Jackie to continue.

"I'm just going to set it up in a way that Steven will have to talk to me. He can't blow me off this time, and I'll remind him that he's working for my love, so he'll have to do as I say." Jackie took a pause to think of other loopholes that she could easily avoid. "And, Steven won't lie just to say the right things to me like Michael did. He might be ill tempered and a dirtbag, but Steven is not a liar."

Donna just nodded her head in agreement, too tired to want to argue with her determined, petite friend. She looked to Fez's bedroom door and frowned at the thought of what they had to do next.

"You wanna go tell Fez we're sorry now." She offered reluctantly.

Jackie sighed and got up from her seat on the couch. "I guess. I'm sure he's cooled off by now."

* * *

Hyde sat next to Mrs. Forman on the couch, uncomfortably staring down at the photo album in front of him. Mrs. Forman insisted that he look at some of the pictures she had taken from the period that he had "missed out on" as she liked to put it. Hyde tried to correct her little euphemism, but she just waved her hand and forced him to sit down next to her. She also thought it would help trigger something in his mind that would just have those memories come right back to him. Just as he suspected, she was being completely optimistic about the situation. It really made him uncomfortable when she talked like this. He was pretty sure that his memory would never come back. To be honest, he was actually hoping it would stay wherever it had run off too. Almost no one had anything good to say about the passed two years, and he was quite fine with staying ignorant to his own feelings about the strange 180 degree turn everyone had seemed to take, including himself. The only person that had told him positive things was Fez, and that mostly had to do with his strange new ability to attract women and actually get them to sleep with him. As far as Hyde was concerned, the world he "missed out on" was completely backwards to what he was used to, and he was quite content with only hearing and not experiencing it for himself.

That was why he only slightly looked at the pictures that Mrs. Forman so enthusiastically showed and gave a full explanation of each.

"Oh, and this is when all of you went to the Packers game." Kitty exclaimed, clapping her hands together. "That was such a fun time for all of you. Well," her voice dropped as she began to remember herself. "You and Jackie weren't doing so well but Eric beat up a football fan that day." She smiled again, moving onto better memories. "That was such a special day for Red. He doesn't like to admit it, but I know he was so proud of Eric that day. I, however, was not happy. I have always told him that fighting is not the answer, but hey," She held her hands up in mock defense. "I'm just his mother so what do I know!"

Kitty noticed Hyde's uncomfortable shifting due to her outburst and she quickly straightened up and changed her demeanor. "Is any of this ringing any bells?"

Hyde shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. "Nope."

Kitty frowned and then laughed off her pending opinion that her little plan might not be working. "Well, how about we move to more recent pictures, shall we?"

She flipped towards the back of the photo album, scanning the page she had turned to. Hyde ran his hand through his hair, trying his best to hide how incredibly bored he was.

"Well, now here is a picture of Sam." Kitty said as she pointed at a picture sheathed in the right corner closest to Hyde. The mention of the name perked up Hyde's attention. He quickly turned his eyes to the picture next to Kitty's finger and studied the woman who was posing a little too provocatively for a family album. The first thought that entered his mind was she was hot, but that really didn't come as a surprise. Most blondes that wear hardly any clothes tend to have that sort of reaction on him. However, his thoughts completely stopped there. She was just an ordinary type of hot, almost hitting Laurie territories in his mind which didn't settle his stomach anymore with the fact that he used to sorta be married to this woman. Laurie disgusted him, and this Sam woman was starting to as well. The only thing that eased his mind from seeing his picture was he knew exactly who she wasn't.

Ever since his doctor had put in his mind that this dream he had been having may actually be a memory, he started searching all the crevices and cracks of his mind, trying to think who he knew that would wear a dress like that. After a good while, he fearfully began wondering if the white dress was in fact a wedding dress, and the only thing he had been told that had happened in the past two years involving a wedding of any kind was his own drunken one.

He knew now though after seeing this picture of Sam that she couldn't have been the woman. Even without seeing her face, this woman was more than just hot. She was beautiful. Dreaming or remembering her made him feel all these unexplainable and new emotions that seeing Sam didn't even begin to stir up. It was nice to know that his sham of a marriage was really just a tiny footnote in his brain as well.

Just then, Eric hobbled down the stairs, looking like he hadn't showered in one too many days. His hair stuck up on one side of his head and laid flat on the other. Stubble from the week he had spent not shaving was almost starting to push the boundaries of becoming a beard. Kitty and Hyde looked to him disappointedly, one feeling motherly sympathy and the other wanting to pound him for being such a pansy.

"Honey," Kitty tisked her tongue. "You really need to get out of the house. It isn't healthy to lock yourself in your room and not see the sun for so long."

"Mom," Eric groaned. "Donna dumped me. I'm really not in the mood to deal with people who are happy and have love in their lives."

"Nonsense." Kitty laughed, waving her hand at Eric. "You don't need that girl anyways. You know she made out with her boyfriend in your room while you were gone."

Eric looked like he was about to vomit, and Hyde patted Kitty on the knee. "I don't think that helps, Mrs. Forman."

"Well the boy should know. While he was away helping out the poor little children in Africa, she was just being the town hussy."

"Look Mom," Eric pinched the bridge of his nose. "I already know about Randy, and at the time I wanted Donna to move on from me. That has nothing to do with our problem now."

"Well I still say you shouldn't be moping around here over her. Go out and have fun with your friends." She turned to Hyde, offering him a toothy smile. "Steven, you can take Eric out to have a good time, can't you?"

Hyde was about to protest until he caught on that this was the perfect opportunity to escape this trip down nonexistent memory lane with Mrs. Forman. He jumped from his seat on the couch a little too enthusiastically and walked over to Eric, making sure he didn't stand too close because he immediately noticed that Eric really hadn't taken a shower in days. "Of course, Mrs. Forman. I'll take Eric out and show him that there are other fish in the sea."

Kitty closed the photo album and laughed as she stood up from her seat as well. "Well thank you, Steven." She gave him one more smile and walked toward the back of the house.

Eric turned to Hyde, trying to shoot daggers with his eyes, but his depression wasn't very helpful in the delivery. "Are we seriously going out?"

Hyde dropped his fake smile as soon as Kitty was out of the room and turned to his foul smelling friend. "Yeah, but we're just going to The Hub, so slap on some deodorant or something."

"Well I don't want you introducing me to any girls. I really want to patch things up with Donna."

Hyde rolled his eyes and turned on his heel to walk into the kitchen, "Trust me, Forman. I can think of plenty of other painful things that I'd rather do to myself than having to explain to girls that you really aren't as much of a chick as you sound." He turned his head slightly to flash an evil smirk. "Besides, I'm a horrible liar."

* * *

Hyde chewed on the last French fry he had, silently telling himself that maybe spending another hour looking at photos with Mrs. Forman might not have been so bad.

"It's just that," Eric whined from his seat against the wall. "I really thought Donna and I were passed all the wedding stuff."

Hyde knew that the best way to handle Eric when he was like this was just to let him whine until he grew tired and then make fun of him until he ran up to his room again. Unfortunately, it looked like he would have to also drive Eric home just so he could run to his room, and he knew more than 5 minutes in the car with him would start the whining again. He needed an exit strategy.

"Just talk to her, Forman." Hyde stated after swallowing his fry. "You guys always work these kinds of things out when you do that stuff."

"Maybe." Eric sighed, grabbing for his soda. "But she isn't even home. I went over there the other day."

"She's at Jackie's."

Eric dropped his jaw. "Why is she at Jackie's?"

Hyde shrugged. "I don't know. Jackie finally let me in yesterday, and she told me that Donna has been staying there this past week."

Eric slumped back against the wall. "She's probably trying to get away from me."

Just then the door of the Hub swung open with Jackie bouncing through and scanning her eyes over burger joint. Hyde caught her gaze, and she walked over to the table. She turned her body to face Hyde once she sat down and placed her purse behind her to block Eric out of the conversation.

"Steven," she stated firmly. "You're taking me on a picnic tomorrow."

"What?" Hyde's mouth hung open in shock. His natural instinct to revolt kicked in. "No way. You know I don't do picnics."

"I know you don't do picnics and that's why you're going with me tomorrow." Jackie folded her arms over her chest, resting her back against the chair.

Hyde didn't even need to question the backwards logic she was presenting to him. The bossy tone and demanding arm fold told him exactly what she meant. "Jackie…" he began to protest.

"There's no getting out of this one, Steven." She wagged a perfectly manicured finger. "If you want another chance at us, you are going to have to go on a picnic with me tomorrow and you will talk about whatever I want to talk about. No "whatever" or "that's cool" is allowed."

Hyde didn't even know how to answer that. He just stared back at her with his pissed off, dumbfounded expression. He heard Eric snicker behind her purse. Jackie must have too because she whipped her hair around, turning her wrath onto the scrawny man.

"What are you laughing at? Shouldn't you be kissing that lumberjack's giant feet?"

Eric's smile fell off his face. Jackie wasn't even fazed by the disheartened look he gave her.

"You better be glad that she is still willing to hear you out after you have made her wait a week! If I was her, I'd already be parading around someone ten times better than you just so you could eat up what a dumbass you are."

Hyde was about to laugh at the mega burn Jackie just smacked Forman with until he felt her piercing eyes turn his way again. "You keep that fact in mind when it comes to picking me up at noon tomorrow."

Jackie picked up her purse and left the boys just as she intended, with a little less of their manhood intact. She held her head high and walked with a swing in her hips. It was nice having the upper hand again.

* * *

**AN2: **I'm planning on the next update to be rated M for smut. Yay smut! 


	10. Ch 10: Come Together

**AN: **Alrighty, here's the chapter I'm sure a lot of you have been waiting for. This chapter turned out to be the longest I've ever written which is probably a good thing for you guys since it's filled with JH goodness. There is also some ED in here as well. Yes, Eric is finally coming to his senses. The quote I use at the beginning of this chapter is one that I found just when I started writing this story, and it really inspired what happens in this chapter.

**Warning: **This chapter is rated **M **for smut.

Reviews have been absolutely wonderful and they seriously make writing this story worth while. I'm hoping for a good response on this chapter, so I'm crossing my fingers right now.

* * *

Chapter 10: Come Together

_"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will  
forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." _

-Maya Angelou

Jackie opened up the door of Hyde's new El Camino, taking in the scenery around her. When she requested that they go to Mount Hump for their picnic, she didn't expect him to take her to the very place where their first date on Veteran's Day occurred. Since that night, they had come up here a few times for other dates, but those were always at night. Now, in the daytime, Jackie took the time to truly appreciate the nature around her. The towering trees shaded the cool forest floor as their interlocking limbs only allowed murmurs of the sun to peak through. Shrubs and flower patches flourished under openings of the deciduous canopy, living it up while the start of spring was still fresh in the air. In a small clearing closer to the drop off of Point Place's "mountain", Jackie took notice of a bed of grass that would be perfect to lay their blanket on and quickly shut the car door to retrieve the checkered blanket from the back.

"Isn't it beautiful out here, Steven?" Jackie cooed as she hopped over to clearing.

Hyde looked at his surroundings and immediately noticed a pair of white panties sitting on a bush nearby.

"Yeah, it's really something." Jackie ignored the sarcasm.

Hyde lifted the very heavy basket filled with enough food to feed the two of them for months. When Mrs. Forman questioned why he was up so early on his day off, he told her without realizing that her motherly instincts would kick in. Well, that was really an understatement. The things Kitty did for her kids always went above and beyond the normal call of duty, and her specialty was making sure they were always overly fed.

Jackie spread the blanket out and sat Indian style in the middle, patting a spot to her side to show Hyde she wanted him to sit next to her. She took a deep breath and the smell of pine and pollen greeted her nose. Usually Jackie felt uncomfortable around nature. She hated the idea of camping or fishing because of the direct contact that was necessary to do either of those activities, but she really loved having a distant relationship like this, just sitting on her blanket, relaxing next to the man she loved.

After he had shown her that box, Jackie took a lot of time to reflect on the situation at hand. No matter how hard she tried to numb the pain, using tactics from getting a job that kept her busy all the time to dating Fez, she never got over Steven, not by a long shot. It was so different compared to the pain she felt when she lost Michael. Both times he left her feeling so hollow and alone, but it was the exact opposite with Steven. She was filled with everything that they had been, and she carried those memories around inside of her everywhere she went. Everything reminded her of their good times and the bad, and every time she was around him, she felt the same nervous excitement that had always been there.

So it was inevitable. Jackie was doomed to be in love with Steven Hyde. He held her heart in his hands, and there was nothing she could do to take herself away from him. He was in her blood. She kept thinking that the safe way would be just to distance herself and ignore his advances at every corner, but after seeing that box, Jackie decided to put her trust in him again. That box spoke to her more than words ever could which was a good thing because Hyde was never good with words. When she saw all of her things in that box along with her Christmas card she was sure he tossed, his words from the beginning of their relationship rang in her ears. _I'm never going to be the guy that says the right thing at the right time. _He made that fault of his up to her with his gestures, and she loved him even more for it. Words were just words in the long run. Michael had fed her lots of words that he betrayed their meaning without question. Words could be misleading, while gestures showed her the truth without her having to sift the bullshit from the sincerity.

Believing this, this whole plan of hers and bringing him out on this picnic might have seemed hypocritical, but outwardly appearances could be deceiving. True, she did want Hyde to talk to her today, but it wasn't the right words that she was searching for. Just seeing him make an effort to put himself out there for her was the gesture she needed. Talking about himself and his feelings was the hardest task she had ever seen him struggle with, and she knew if he was willing to try in order to be with her, then he was really serious about this. The only factor that could hurt her after this would be his memory coming back to him. That possibility was even darker to her than the unknown of starting a relationship with him again. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he remembered why he stayed with Sam; if he remembered why he stopped loving her.

Jackie felt the cool dancing of wind on her skin mixed with the burning heat of Hyde's stare. Jackie had always been a person who loved all eyes on her, but whenever those eyes belonged to the curly haired man that she loved more than herself, her insecurities began to well up inside of her. She always felt as though he could see straight through her and read her thoughts. Sometimes, she would wonder if she ever had the same effect on him. If just looking his way ever made his skin crawl with excitement.

Jackie whipped her head towards him, confirming her assumption that he was indeed staring at her. He smirked at her, and Jackie felt her own mouth turn upwards into a shy smile.

"So, I take it that you're happy to be out here." Hyde said as he continued to look down at her even after she turned her eyes away from him to stare out into the woods once more. He watched as a wide smile formed little dimples in her cheeks. He thought she was so beautiful when she smiled like that.

"Yeah, I really am. Are you happy?" Jackie looked at him once more, carefully studying his reaction.

"I'm okay." Hyde responded as he normally would. He noticed Jackie's face turn from pensive to disappointed fast and he caught himself before she could scold him. "Well, I mean, picnics aren't my thing, but this is nice."

"So if picnics aren't your thing, why did you come?"

Hyde thought back to the day before when Jackie practically demanded that he take her today. Her entire demeanor was so different then compared to now. But that was typical Jackie. She put a strong face on so she couldn't let the world get the best of her, but in reality she was small and needed to be taken care of. Hyde had always seen that and no matter how much he used to deny it, he always responded to her hidden quality by wanting to be the person to watch out for her.

"I thought I didn't have a choice." Hyde teased as he lightly nudged her shoulder with his arm.

Jackie smiled at his little attempt to ease the tension, but she had to push him harder. She looked up into his eyes that were shaded by rose colored glass. "You always have a choice, Steven."

Hyde didn't break her stare knowing that now was not the time to shrug her off. He felt the words he wanted to say on the tip of his tongue, waiting to spoken once more by him. He silently wondered if he ever did tell her that he loved her again during the two years that was missing from his mind. He wondered if the sting from the first time he said those words to her ever dulled, and he actually tried to tell her once more. For the first time since his accident, Hyde began to feel the twisting pull of regret working a number on him deep in his chest. This whole time he had been somewhat relieved that he couldn't remember, but now he wanted nothing more than to see all the things he missed out on with her.

"You know why Jackie."

Jackie felt it again, that magnetism that always existed between them. She felt her chest being pulled to him, her body needing to touch his. However, she resisted her skin's cries and focused on those two eyes still shielded from her. She reached up her hand, her fingers lightly grazing the smooth skin of his cheek. She thought she heard him take in a sharp breath from her contact, but she was too distracted by the fire roaring in her stomach, its heat coursing through her arm. She lightly grabbed the sides of his aviators and slowly slid the sunglasses off his face. Sunglasses are meant to shade the eyes from the dangerous rays of the sun, but Jackie sometimes felt that it was the opposite for Hyde. The intensity that his clear blue eyes emitted could be shocking for most. Jackie knew it was for her the first time she found herself staring straight into his uncovered eyes.

Hyde didn't know of the loneliness he felt when he and Jackie were broken up for so long, but what his mind so carelessly forgot, his body definitely remembered. Her eyes were locked onto his, and his heart was pounding in his chest harder than he could remember.

"Did I ever tell you again?" He asked, hoping that she understood what he was referring to.

Jackie was taken aback by his question, but she still continued to hold their gaze. "Yes."

Hyde was about to ask her how it happened. He knew she would explain it perfectly to him, but the look in her eyes stopped him from wanting to search for the details. The rims of her lids held in her tears until the warm liquid surpassed the threshold and ran down her cheeks. Jackie quickly looked away and wrapped her arms around her body, hoping that maybe if she squeezed herself tight enough she would wake up from this dream that she had apparently fallen into.

"Jackie." Hyde called to her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He tried to get her to look at him but she continued to look down at the blanket. After a few moments of Hyde searching his mind for anything that he could say to make this all better, she finally spoke.

"I just don't understand." Her voice was raspy and shaking, and Hyde scooted in closer to hear her and with hopes that she would let him comfort her. The last thing he wanted was for her to run from him now. "You might not remember what it was like for us, Steven, but I do. I remember all the moments we shared and the love we felt. And I also remember how it just disappeared and we forgot about it all. So this," Jackie moved her hands back and forth between them. "How you are fighting for us and wanting it all to come back, it's just so confusing. I still hurt from what happened, and you can't tell me the things I need to know."

"Well, what do you need to know?" Hyde asked still keeping his grip on her shoulder firm.

"I need to know if you loved me while we were apart. I still love you, Steven, and I can forget all of those things just to be with you if you just tell me."

Jackie waited for his reaction, for his gesture to try for them. She watched him carefully as he thought about his answer, first his face drawing a blank and then his eyebrows knitting together as he searched his mind. The whole time she was quietly pleading for him to say anything but "I don't know." She needed him to try for her, to give her something tangible so she could fully trust him again.

Finally, Hyde sat back, ready to give her his answer.

"I did."

Jackie sat still, her heart stopping in her chest. "How do you know?"

Hyde closed his eyes. He didn't know why. He just knew. What was he supposed to tell her? That ever since he realized what he felt for her was love, he couldn't think of a time he didn't feel this way, that he couldn't imagine not feeling that way about her no matter what. He hated this. He hated having to explain himself because he knew it would just come out wrong. But he had to say something, for her, if he wanted to make this right.

"I just feel it."

As soon as the words left his mouth and entered Jackie's ear, she snaked her arm around his neck and captured his lips in a searing kiss. Even though he was caught off guard, Hyde quickly responded by kissing her back and moving his hand down to her hip so he could pull her in closer. Jackie kissed him with all of the buried passion that had lain dormant inside of her for so long. Hyde could feel everything Jackie was feeling in that kiss, and he knew that this was his last chance he would ever get with her. He made a promise to make sure that he would never have to ask for another one ever again.

* * *

Donna ran her fingers through her hair that had just completely dried from her shower. She looked down at the lock that hung limp over her fingers tips. The light was hitting it just right to reveal a vibrant shade of red. The lightness of her blonde had taken the red well, almost as if her hair had missed the color and soaked up every bit of the dye that it could. The color looked so bold compared to the washed up paleness of her hair just hours before. She almost felt like a new person again, and from the way she had been acting recently, that was a good thing.

A soft knock sounded from the front door, and Donna's heart lunged into her throat. Without even looking, she knew it was him. Even though she had been waiting for him this whole time, for a brief second she considered not opening the door. What if it took him so long because he decided he didn't want to be with her indefinitely? Donna knew she was the one that broke up with him, but she did it to help their relationship, not hurt it. She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. There was no sense in being afraid of him. It was just Eric. She could take it. Whatever his decision would be, it'd be for the best.

All of Donna's confidence drained from her body when she opened the apartment door. Eric stood before her with a nice button up shirt and black slacks. His hair was combed neatly to the side and the light color of his shirt really brought out his tan that he had got while in Africa.

"Hey, can I come in?" He asked. Donna nodded her head and moved out of the doorway so he could enter. Eric walked through the door with his hands in his pockets, and they both felt the tension in the room rise. Donna closed the door as quietly as she could, taking her precious time before she turned around to face him. Once she did, she found Eric's eyes on her, reading her as she stood there.

"You dyed your hair again."

Donna gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I felt like I needed a change."

Eric nodded his head approvingly, his eyes still glued to her. "I like it."

"So," Eric began, looking down at the floor with his hands in his pockets. "Have you been here all week?"

"Yeah, Jackie wanted us to spend some quality girl time with each other."

Eric nodded his head. Donna felt that this small talk was just torture. The longer she waited for him to say something, the more her stomach tied in knots and her head spinned in a dizzy blunder. She considered just running from the room if this kept up. Luckily, Eric made his move just in time.

"Look Donna, I'm really really sorry about breaking up with you while I was in Africa. I just thought that you were wasting your life away waiting for me like that. And I know that I did the same thing about the wedding and sorry isn't enough, so I guess." He stopped fumbling around, took a deep breath, and looked up at her with his sincere, green eyes. "Will you go out on a date with me?"

"What?" Donna asked, completely taken by surprise.

Eric walked to her and held her hands in his. "Go out to the Vinyard with me. We'll talk about everything and just completely start over. I already made reservations, and I even managed to get the table that we had our first date at." He paused seeing that Donna was still staring at him with wide eyes. "Please, Donna. I love you and I really want to make this work this time. I'm not going to back out on you anymore."

Donna looked down at their hands and then back up into his eyes again. A wide smile took over her features and she let go of his hands to walk to the door. "Well, can we at least go home first so I can change into something nice?"

Eric smiled back at her and followed. "Of course."

* * *

Jackie fished her keys out of her purse, trying her best to not let Hyde's light nibbling on her earlobe distract her from entering her own apartment. To her grateful disappointment, the tickling that danced on the left side of her neck fogged her brain just enough to completely forget that the hard, metal keys dangling in her hand were her ticket to getting in her apartment and furthering things in the bedroom.

"Steven," she giggled, pushing his body away from her as best as she could with her hip. "I'm trying to get into the apartment."

Hyde's unbroken arm that was wrapped tightly around her mid section tightened his hold on her body. She felt his warm breath against her neck and she froze, anticipating his next move. When she noticed he wasn't doing anything and was actually chuckling at the effect he had on her, she elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to groan in pain.

"That's what you get, you tease." Jackie said, pushing the keys into the slot and opened up the door.

Hyde ran after Jackie who had taken off to her bedroom as soon as they were granted entrance into the apartment. He found her giggling on her bed, giving him her best sex kitten eyes, daring him to come and play. He growled deeply in his throat and pounced on her body, causing her to shriek even more with laughter. He silenced her with his mouth, leading her lips to clamp down onto his in a fiery kiss.

Jackie rubbed her hands against his tee shirt, feeling his chest muscles underneath the AC/DC logo. She moved her hands to rub his shoulders, feeling his strong muscles flex underneath her fingers. She needed to feel his skin against hers. It had been way to long for her and she was in no mood for foreplay. She shot her hands underneath his shirt to give his chest and stomach one longing rub before she began working her fingers to undue his pants.

"Someone's a little anxious." He pointed out, smirking at her frantic pace.

Jackie got his belt undone and began working on his button and zipper. "It has been a really, really long time, Steven. Now take off your shirt."

Hyde chuckled but couldn't help but get even more turned on by how demanding she was being. He straddled the sides of her legs for balance and tried to get his shirt off as fast as he could with one arm. Jackie quickly noticed that it was taking him a while.

"What's wrong?"

Hyde groaned, still struggling with his tee shirt. "It's just my cast." He managed to get the shirt off one side and pulled it over his cast with his free hand.

Jackie bit her lip. This was not how she imagined how this moment would be. She knew if they started out how they normally did, his cast would definitely get in the way and it would make the entire situation awkward. She had to think of a way to avoid that and fast.

"Get on your back." Jackie demanded. Hyde perked up an eyebrow at her forwardness but did as he was told.

As soon as his back hit the mattress, he felt Jackie's tiny body jump on top of him and straddle his hips. They usually never did it this way because Jackie liked Hyde on top better, but she had a serious sexiness in her eyes and Hyde knew not to voice any kind of protest. She meant business, and Hyde was never one to get in the way of a lady's work.

Jackie looked down at him, her eyes skimming over his chest and stomach. She didn't tell him much, but he was the sexiest man she had ever seen and probably ever would see. She wanted to make sure that this time would be just as good for him as she knew it would be for her.

Jackie worked her fingers to un due the buttons of her blouse, keeping her eyes on the man beneath her as he enjoyed the beginning of the little show she was about to give him. Once she got to the bottom, she let the soft material slowly slide off her shoulders and arched her back so it could fall off her arms. Keeping her position, she fingered the hooks of her bra, unclasping the black lace. She noticed the hungry look in Hyde's eye as he waited for her to remove the piece of underwear that had been covering the mounds he had been eyeing since she had taken her shirt off. Jackie took the garment off at a painfully slow pace, and she enjoyed every minute of the erotic torture she was giving to him. She flung the bra across the room along with her shirt, the feeling of being completely exposed causing her nipples to harden.

Jackie felt Hyde's free hand that had been resting on her hip this whole time move upwards against her stomach. She stopped his journey short, causing him to groan in protest.

"What's wrong, Steven? Do you want to touch me?"

"Yes." Hyde said, his voice becoming breathy as the tension built inside of him. He was starting to not like this helplessness.

"Do you want to touch me like this?" Jackie asked as she cupped her breast with her hands, kneading herself in the same way he would.

"Fuck, Jackie." Hyde watched as Jackie pleasured herself, wishing so badly it was he who doing the pleasuring, but he couldn't bring himself to stop her. This was probably the single hottest thing his young eyes had ever witnessed.

Jackie grinned down at him, satisfied with the aching need she saw in his eyes. She moved her body further down his body, taking off his pants so that he could be completely naked. She quickly noticed that he was still wearing his boots, and got off the bed so she could pull those off.

"You know these just get in the way of this." Hyde rolled his eyes at her snarkiness, but chose to just keep his mouth shut because she was undressing him. He was really getting into this Jackie being in control, and what was even better was she was getting into it even more. His dick pulsated underneath his jeans as he thought of how great it would feel when she climbed back on top of him and he could feel her surround him completely.

Once she had gotten his pants off, Jackie unzipped her skirt as she took in his naked body just lying on her bed, and he was definitely very ready for her. She slipped out of her skirt and left it on the floor. She playfully tucked her thumbs under the sides of her panties, seductively shaking her hips at him.

"You're going to kill me." Hyde groaned. Jackie smiled once more and tore the last barrier away from her body that stood in the way of their long awaited union.

Jackie climbed back up on the bed, her naked body hovering just inches over his. The heat radiating from their skin made their complete exposure very real for the both of them, and Hyde reached out to touch her again. He rubbed the side of her hip, trying to coax her to finally give him what they both needed. Jackie lowered her head down to his, sensually kissing his lips. He opened his mouth, allowing their tongues to get one last taste before they took the plunge. After a few moments of making love to each other's mouths, Jackie broke the kiss and sunk down on his dick, moaning at the contact.

Once he was completely inside of her and she was comfortable, Jackie rocked her body backwards and forwards, panting at each stroke's in and out motion. Her hands positioned on each side of Hyde's shoulders held her body and just the right angle for his head to hit her g spot with each bounce. Jackie felt her climax building inside of her as she quickened her pace, but she just wasn't moving fast enough. As if he read her mind, Hyde met her with his own thrusts, and he aided her rocking with his hand that now pushed against her hip. Jackie was at her brink. She wanted this orgasm to be perfect so she moaned through her pants, "I want you to come with me."

Hearing those words escape from her mouth almost made Hyde come right then. He quickened the pace of his thrusts, his dick pounding against the walls of her pussy. Jackie felt her body meet its threshold, and she screamed his name as ecstasy and release clouded her mind. She collapsed her body against Hyde and he continued to pump in and out of her as they both rode off their orgasms together.

After catching their breaths, Jackie rolled off Hyde and rested her head on his chest and wrapping her arm around his stomach. She whispered, "I love you." into the air and felt sleep take over. Just when she was falling completely under, she could have sworn she heard his deep reply, "I love you, too."

* * *

**AN2: **So, I didn't realize until now what a double entendre the title of this chapter was. Hehe, I think it's better that way. 


	11. Ch 11: A Sign

**AN: **So, I think I'm starting to see a pattern here. The more and more I write in this story, the longer my chapters get. I guess that's a good thing. Anyways, thanks for the patience on this latest chapter. I know it's been a few days, but I really put a lot of effort into this. Hopefully it's satisfying for you guys. Reviews have gone down just a tad, but I think it's just because people are on vacation and it's not because I'm losing you guys with this story. I hope I'm not losing you guys with this story. The reviews that I did get for the last chapter were amazing, and the feedback was excellent. To the reviewers who give me detailed reviews, your words mean a lot to me. You let me know the areas that I'm doing well in, and I love hearing your insight and analysis on the issues that I bring up. Just about 100 percent of the time, you are absolutely right.

I hope you guys really like this one. Review!

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Chapter 11: A Sign 

Hyde opened his eyes to a stream of bright sunshine hitting him in the face. He quickly closed his lids, trying his best to wake up without being blinded. He quickly noticed that he wasn't on his cot, but instead laying on his back in a fluffy, comfortable bed. He also felt the hot weight of Jackie's naked body lying on top of him, her head resting on his chest and one of her legs wrapped around his own. Tingling pins began poking his arm as he realized that Jackie had been sleeping on it all night. He wondered how long his arm had been asleep but didn't care enough to move it so his blood flow could be normal again. His body was still craving her closeness, and he didn't have the heart to move her. He opened his eyes again, quickly moving his head so that the light didn't rape his pupils once more. His face came in contact with the top of Jackie's head and the scent of strawberries filled his nose. He always remembered Jackie smelling this way, and it was nice to know that that hadn't changed.

Hyde thought back to last night and how lucky he was that Jackie took him back. He promised her long ago that he would never cheat on her again, and not only did he break that promise, but he hurt in more ways than he thought he was capable of. He thought back to Eric explaining what happened in the hotel room, how he found Kelso in a towel and just stormed off to Vegas. Hyde imagined that he must have been pretty pissed, but he couldn't imagine being so pissed that he stayed with a stripper even after Jackie told him nothing happened. Since the nurse, he had learned to give Jackie the benefit of doubt on Kelso issues, but something about that night must have made him see red.

None of that mattered anymore. Jackie was slowly forgiving him, and she proved that last night when she gave him her body. From the very beginning when he and Jackie started fooling around on the basement couch, Hyde knew that sex meant a lot to Jackie. She didn't just do it with anyone and when she did it for the first time with someone, it meant something to her. Hyde had come to realize that it also meant something to him too. The first time they did it, it was a little while after everyone found out about their secret relationship. Jackie had been getting hell at school from her fellow cheerleaders and everyone doubted that they would even last. One night after a big football, she stormed into the basement wearing her cheerleading uniform with fire in her eyes. After making love right there on the basement couch, Hyde noticed her features calmed and she never again did she let what any of the assholes at school say get to her. Hyde soon realized that Jackie was trying to prove to herself that what they had was real. That night had made it very real for him as well. Sex was the only barrier that he had put up with her, and he knew once he let her knock it down, there was no turning back.

Last night was also more than just sex. Jackie was beginning to trust him again and she wanted him to trust her too. She took control and led the way, wanting him to follow her without question. Hyde had always had problems with people being in control of his life mostly because he had no control of what happened to him in his childhood. He never wanted anyone to get the best of him, not even Jackie. He knew that was always a problem with them. She'd say one thing, and he would argue just so he wouldn't be doing what she told him to. She would push, and he would push right back. She wanted him to show her his weaknesses, and he would hide even more. All of it was a power struggle in Hyde's mind, and in the end they had both lost. Lying on her plush bed that he never knew existed, underneath her body that had aged 2 years since the last he remembered touching it, Hyde wished once again that he could remember even the bad moments he had had with Jackie. Maybe then he could know what was the final strike for him was. What single incident had made him give up on them all together. He wasn't sure though if what he found out would change any of this.

Hyde felt the stirring of Jackie's waking body, her thighs tightening around his leg and her fingers stretching across his chest. He looked down at her face to see her eyelids fluttering open, her long lashes darkening her tired eyes. For a second, Hyde felt his breathing stop and his limbs tingle, and it wasn't from her laying on them. At that moment, Hyde knew that nothing could trump what he felt for her, not even memories.

"Good morning," Jackie whispered up at him, smiling slightly as she closed her eyes once more. She cuddled deeper into his body, hugging him close. Hyde leaned his head down and planted a kiss in her hair, staying just like that for a few more minutes, enjoying everything about her.

* * *

Mrs. Forman hummed as she turned another pancake. Her womanly hips wiggled around to the little tune she was singing as she delightfully made breakfast for her family. Her husband, Red, sat in his typical chair at the table, his back to the wall as he read the morning paper. Her son walked in from the door leading to the living room, a wide grin on his face lighting up the room for her. 

"So I take it your date with Donna went well last night." Kitty said as she turned some sausage on the skillet.

"Oh, it went more than well." Eric replied, taking a seat across from his father at the table.

Red flopped his paper down on the table, laying his stern eyes on Eric. "Don't talk about that at the table."

Eric laughed, waving his hands in front of him, "No, no. Donna and I didn't go that far last night. We just had a really great time talking."

"Well that's wonderful, honey." Kitty said cheerfully, placing the plate of pancakes in the middle of the table where both Eric and Red began to dig in right away. "I'm so happy that you and Donna are really patching things up."

"But Mom, you just said the other day that I could find someone better."

"I was only saying that so you two wouldn't just repeat the same mistakes. You two have a tendency not to communicate very well." Kitty made her way back to the stove.

Eric opened his mouth wide, his jaw hanging in shock. "What do you mean? Donna and I have always talked about our problems. We just hadn't talked since I've been back from Africa, and I think that was bugging her."

Red plopped the syrup on the table setting his eyes on his son once more. "Look son, I've told you this before and I'll say it again. I am proud of you for becoming a man and making your own decisions with how you want to live your life, but the way you have treated that girl over the past few years has not been perfect. The only problems that you and Donna ever talked about were the little measly fights you would get into all the time. When you had big issues to handle, you just swept them under the rug and ignored them."

Eric sat shell shocked in his seat. "Well, we talked about a lot of that stuff last night."

Kitty came back over to the table with a plate of finished sausage. "And that's great, honey."

Hyde walked through the sliding glass door of the kitchen and took his place at the table. Eric quickly looked to him with a scowl. "Well I don't see why you guys are lecturing me about how I treated, Donna. You guys never talked to Hyde about ignoring his problems with Jackie when he stayed with that stripper."

Hyde shot a sneer in Eric's direction and Red quickly butted in. "Don't bring Steven's issues into this. Anything that I have or haven't said to Steven in the past is our business, just like what I have said to you is your business and mine. Now shut up and eat your breakfast."

Kitty made one final trip, setting the coffee pot down on the table. An awkward silence fell on the Forman family once Red spoke his final words. That usually tended to happen when Red settled an issue. The air hovering around them was always thick with silence. Hyde took off his sunglasses and hooked them to the front of his shirt. He forked a few pancakes and placed them on his plate, drenching them in syrup just like he liked.

"So how was your date with Donna?" Hyde asked once he set the syrup down. Eric's frowned expression quickly brightened at the mention.

"Great. She actually said she would call me sometime this morning so we can go out to lunch." Immediately the phone started ringing, and Eric quickly whipped his head in its direction. "Oh, crap, that's probably her."

He shot up from his seat on the table, his hand clumsily smacking Kitty's coffee mug over.

"Sorry, Mom." Eric called to her as he dashed to the other side of the room.

"Oh, drats." Kitty said as she too sat up from her chair.

But all of this was just background noise for Hyde. He focused in on the brown liquid that began to pool around the center plate. The dark liquid quickly lightened in color and cubes of ice floated along as the spill spread across the floor. Hyde looked up and he was no longer in the Forman's kitchen. He was in the lobby of Point Place's only movie theater. He watched as Jackie stared down on her soaked front, completely horrified at the sight of her brand new sweater now ruined. Fez looked on, his face hardly masking his guilt. Jackie looked up to her boyfriend and began shouting obscenities, stomping her feet until she took off into the bathroom where Fez quickly followed.

Hyde got up from his chair and stumbled his way out of the kitchen. One by one, memories began flooding his mind, all of them scattered and not in any particular chronological order. He clutched head, frightened that the racing thoughts wouldn't stop. The past two years zoomed by him in a flash, only the significant moments really having any kind of impact on him. He felt his back lean against the tail bed of the El Camino and he allowed his body to rest there until this moment of unwanted clarity passed. His heart pounded at some of the things he saw. Sam prancing around the basement, making a snide remark to Jackie while he just tried to ignore the pain in her eyes, Sam announcing their marriage as a breathless "Oh my god" slapped him across his ear and he felt the small body next to him run from the room, and then the worst the thing that squeezed his heart the most. Kelso wrapped in a white cotton towel, his eyes widening in surprise at the sight of Hyde, ice flying everywhere. However, Hyde was wrong earlier when he said he must have saw red. All he felt was the cold and clammy blanket of darkness descending upon him, his heart shattering into tiny, irreplaceable pieces. Hyde grabbed his face, gasping for air. He felt like he had just been sucker punched in the stomach. The hint of vomit climbed into his throat as he choked back the need of becoming sick right there in the Forman's driveway.

But before he could hit something to force himself back into reality, she appeared before him again, and Hyde quickly realized the Nick was right. His woman in white wasn't a dream at all, but a memory. Before him stood Jackie in a white wedding dress, lacy frills running up her shoulders and her skirt flaring in a perfect ring around her. Her veil sat on top of her head, right where her raven hair was pulled back in a fancy pony tail. She was looking down on the floor guiltily. Hyde felt his body being pulled to her as she met him half way, throwing her arms at her sides. He wasn't quite sure what she said. All he could tell was she was trying to explain herself as her sad eyes shimmered in the light of the department store.

And then Hyde said it.

"You're beautiful."

Hyde felt a comforting hand touch his shoulder. The warm fingers brought him back to reality, and he quickly realized that he was no longer holding his head. He was leaning up against the El Camino staring out into the street at nothing. He turned to find Mrs. Forman looking up at him with cautious eyes as Red also waited not too far behind her.

"Are you okay, Steven?"

Hyde gulped down an uncomfortable and tense ball that had formed in his throat. "I remember." He managed to squeeze out.

Kitty turned to Red whose eyebrows were crossed in confusion. Hyde waited for them to say something because he had no idea what to do next.

Kitty turned back around her eyes wide with shock. She was lost of words. She blinked a few times, trying to get her thoughts straight and finally she spoke.

"We have to see Dr. Swardson right now."

"But I don't have an appointment for a few more days…"

"I don't care." Kitty said, pushing him towards the Toyota. "Red, drive him to the doctor's office, and I'm going to call Dr. Swardson right away."

* * *

Hyde and Red stood outside of the doctor's office, waiting for Dr. Swardson to arrive. It had taken them a while to leave the house due to an argument about whether or not Hyde could go by himself or not. Hyde insisted that he didn't need Red to drive him, and Red argued that Kitty would drive him crazy for the next week if he let him go alone. Kitty had run out of the house, yelling to them to get a move on, that Dr. Swardson was going to leave his house early to meet them at his office. 

Hyde and Red looked on as they saw Dr. Swardson's car swing into the empty parking lot, parking in his specially marked spot. Hyde noticed once he got out of the car that he was really dressed down from the other times he had seen him, and he quickly figured that he wasn't even near ready to be coming in this early, yet he still did. A chill crawled up Hyde's spine as he began wondering about the importance of his condition. Nick had always been very professional and laid back, and now to see him dressed in a wrinkled tee shirt and jeans while fumbling to get out of his car was a bit of a wakeup call.

"Is that your doctor?" Red leaned in and asked.

"Yeah."

Red scoffed. "He looks like a quack."

"Sorry to keep you gentlemen waiting." Nick said as he scrambled in his pocket to pull out his keys. "I wasn't exactly ready for this phone call."

"We could have come at another time, Nick." Hyde offered.

"No!" Nick held up a hand as he pushed the door open. "It's very important that we talk about this now. It's no burden on me. Trust me."

They walked into Nick's office. Red walked over to one of the couches in the waiting area, still eyeing Dr. Swardson warily. "I'll just wait for you here, Steven."

Hyde walked into the room he had only spent two sessions in. If he had to be honest, he thought he would be visiting this place more. He really wasn't expecting any of this to happen. Like everything in life, he just rolled with the punches, never letting optimism leading him into false hope.

Hyde sat down on the leather couch. He watched as Nick searched through his desk for the tape recorder. Hyde noticed the Magic 8 Ball sitting in the same place he had placed it last. He picked it up once more, now unsure of a question to ask. He decided to take a shot in the dark and see what the answer would be to the one thing that was bugging him the most about this whole memory recovery. _Will all of this change things with Jackie and me? _Hyde shook the ball and turned it on its side. The blue prism floated to the top revealing its answer.

_Yes. _

Hyde chuckled. Figures it would give him such a definite answer on that one.

Nick sat down in his chair across from Hyde, placing the tape recorder on the table. As he pulled out the microphone to set it down in a good spot, he pushed the record button. Nick sat back in his seat, sighing for a second trying to pull himself together.

"So, what was it that triggered this?" Nick finally asked relaxing into his typical psychiatrist sit that Hyde had come accustomed to.

"Uh, Eric spilled some coffee and it reminded me of a few weeks ago when my friends and I were all at the movies together. After that just everything came back to me at one time."

Nick's face brightened up. "Do you have a full grasp on where your memories go? Like if he had to put them on a timeline, you could?"

Hyde nodded his head. "Yeah, it's like I've never forgotten them. I guess that's kind of what is weird about all of this. I remember remembering, and then I remember not remembering, and now I remember again."

Nick adjusted his body in his chair, folding his hands in his lap. "So is there anything you remember that might have made you repress your memories. Like the crash for instance."

Hyde thought for a second, feeling his body instantly clam up when he remembered the night of the crash. He had been shit faced but he still remembered. He remembered all those hopeless and maligning thoughts that plagued him all night. For so long he just rotted away but chose to live through it without considering anything else other than he was doing what was best Jackie and him. It wasn't until Donna threw in his face the one thing he never wanted to hear. It opened the doors he had been struggling to hold shut for months, and he internally beat himself to a pulp that night. The scariest part of it was he began to wonder whether his collision was even much of an accident at all.

Hyde sighed. He figured that all of these things were supposed to be what you told a psychiatrist: doubts, fears, traumas, suicidal tendencies. But Hyde just wasn't that guy, and he never was going to be. This man needed to hear words and Hyde was never one for words. Nick might have been a cool guy who could give him timely advice, but Hyde figured that someone else needed to hear him talk first before this guy.

"I don't really remember the actual crash, just what happened before the crash. I was just really bummed about things, you know, life in general."

Hyde caught Nick's expectant stare. His neck grew warm around the collar of his shirt and he fidgeted in his seat.

"Look, I already told you, I'm not the kind of guy that talks about this stuff, okay? It's just not who I am. I know you're trying to help me or whatever, but I'm just not going to change."

Nick leaned forward in his seat, resting his elbows on his knees. "Look Hyde. I've dealt with a lot of patients, a lot of them actually a lot more reserved than you, so I'm used to this. But there is a reason you repressed these memories, Hyde, and if you don't want to tell me things about your past and the things that have happened to you recently, that's okay. You have recovered from your memory loss, and that's more than excellent, but if you let me, I can help you with the why, but the only way to do that is if you talk to me."

Hyde pushed his back against the couch, wishing that the cushions could swallow him whole. It scared him just how tempting Nick's offer was. Hyde was certain that if he had met Nick under different circumstances, they would definitely be cool with each other, maybe even friends. But his throat sealed shut, preventing the words from being spoken. This was how it always happened. It was as if his throat had a filter and the only words that could get through were the ones that didn't hold emotion filled connotations.

"Look, I really appreciate it, but I think I'm going to be okay."

"You do?" Nick asked, raising a questioning eyebrow.

Hyde nodded. "Yeah, I'll just put it this way. I've finally gotten back what makes me happy, and I'm going to make sure it never leaves again."

Nick eyed Hyde suspiciously, but there was really nothing he could do. If Hyde refused treatment, then that's just how it was. "Well, I really hope things work out for you, Hyde."

Hyde stood up from the couch. "Just to let you know, I think it's really cool what you do. I used to not trust shrinks, but you really care about helping people."

Nick smiled. "Thanks, Hyde. Just remember you can always stop by and see me if you ever need anything. Even if you aren't having any troubles. It's my job to talk to people."

Hyde nodded his head. "I'll keep in touch." And for once, Hyde really felt as if he meant it.

Hyde walked towards the door, but Nick's voice stopped him. "Wait, Hyde. I have one last question."

Hyde turned around, folding his arms but not in the same defensive way from when he first entered Nick's office.

"That dream you were having, did it turn out to be a memory?"

Hyde stopped for a moment, feeling his heart race and tingles dancing across his ribs. "Yeah, it was."

"Do you see the importance of it now?"

Jackie smiling widely with her hands clapped together in glee entered Hyde's mind again. She was the first thing he saw when he woke up after his accident and the last thing he remembered this morning. What was more important than that was when he remembered Kelso in the towel as his chest ached with pain and his brain clouded over with darkness, remembering her in that wedding dress cleared the fog and finally shined some light on his thoughts. Instead of pain, he felt his chest balloon with an unnamable feeling, but it was the same feeling he had when her vision first came to him. She was his light at the end of the tunnel.

"Yeah, I have."

* * *

Hyde paced back and forth in Jackie's hallway, trying to will himself to have the courage to say what he needed to. His hands shook in anticipation as he tried to find the right words in his head. Part of him wanted to just let things flow without a plan on his part, something that he always defaulted to when it came to Jackie, but another part of him just wanted to be able to let go and say exactly what he wanted to say. It had been a few hours since he saw Nick, and he felt that everything had come full circle in his mind. The memory loss and Jackie in a wedding dress all meant something. 

Pushing out a huge sigh, Hyde marched over to Jackie and Fez's door for the third time in the past 10 minutes. He knocked loudly, calming his exterior as he waited for someone to open the door. As always, Fez swung open the door and blocked Hyde's passage from getting in.

"What, are you Jackie's door man or something?" Hyde asked, giving Fez a glare.

Fez stood up straight, taking offense to Hyde's comment. "Hey! I've told you guys a hundred times that I don't appreciate the foreign, low paying job jokes." He folded his arms, squaring his eyes on Hyde. "I'll have you know, I am a very successful hair stylist down at…"

Hyde pushed passed Fez and snarled, "I got my memory back, you dink. I know you're just a shampoo boy."

Hyde didn't wait for Fez to answer as he lightly knocked on Jackie's bedroom door, entering once he heard her small and cheerful "Come in" from the other side. He cautiously peeked his body in, finding Jackie sitting on her bed, reading what appeared to be the ending of a book. She turned her gentle eyes on him momentarily, "Hi."

"Hi." Hyde responded, quietly closing the door behind him. He watched her for a second as she read. Her body was curled up next to her bedside lamp and her ankles were locked together. Taking in her form, Hyde was certain that this was exactly what he wanted.

Jackie found a good place to stop and placed her Nancy Drew bookmark in between the last few pages of Wuthering Heights. She sighed contently, assuring herself that she would give her boyfriend a few hello kisses, and relax with him on her bed as she finished the end of her book. She rolled off her bed and hopped over to Hyde. She reached her arms around his neck and stood on her tip toes to plant a kiss on his lips. He met her halfway, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close to his body. Once the kiss was done, Jackie pulled away, shining her beautiful smile up at him. When Hyde half heartedly smiled back, Jackie immediately caught on that something was not right. White hot fear shot down Jackie's spine as the one thought she had chose to ignore since yesterday crossed her mind.

"Uh," Hyde stuttered slightly and scratched the back of his head. "I kind of have to talk to you about something."

Jackie stood in front of him, gulping a few times as she prayed that he wasn't going to tell her what she thought he was going to tell her.

"What is it, baby?"

Hyde carefully looked at her, noticing the worried expression on her face. Her eyes had darkened slightly and she was biting at her bottom lip, forgetting that it wasn't good for her lipstick. He concluded that she must have been thinking the same thoughts he had been for the past few days.

"I remember." He simply stated, hoping that further explanation was not needed.

Jackie's stomach hit the floor and her insides shook with fear. She could feel herself breaking out in a cold sweat as squeezed her fists together to stop the tiny shakes in her limbs. "No, no, no, no, NO!" She screamed, turning away from him and walking to the other side of the room.

"Jackie, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Jackie shouted, trying her best to laugh off her tears. "I told myself that this wasn't the way to do it, but you had to pull me in like you always do. I knew that living in this little fantasy world where we just forget about what happened was a load of crap, but I fell for it anyways. I'm so stupid!"

"Jackie, you're not stupid." Hyde walked over to her and grabbed her arm. He felt her tense underneath his hold, but she didn't pull away. He took it as a good sign.

"Yes I am! Now we're back to where we were again."

"No we're not." Hyde's felt his voice beginning to rise the louder she got.

"How do you know?!" Jackie screamed, beginning to tug herself away from him.

"Because I want to be with you!" Hyde shouted. Jackie stopped pulling and stared up at him with frightened yet curious eyes. Hyde suddenly noticed his outburst and quieted his voice more. "Just because I remember, doesn't change anything that has happened between us this week. I meant it then, and I mean it now."

Jackie felt the tears she had been holding back spill over onto her cheeks, "Steven…" She began.

"Look Jackie," Hyde interrupted, letting go of her arm now that he was certain she would listen to him. "This whole week or so has been really weird for me, but today when it all came back, something clicked for me. It was something that I've known for a while now but just never let myself admit it."

Jackie wiped the tears from her face, curiosity quickly replacing her disappointment.

"You remember how I waited until the last minute to give you my answer to my ultimatum, and you weren't there to hear it?"

Jackie nodded. "Yes, and I'm sorry about…"

"No, don't be sorry. I waited until the last minute for a reason. I don't know if you've realized this about me yet Jackie, but I'm a fuck up, and I don't like having to take responsibility for my mistakes. It's the same reason I stayed with Sam. I just pushed it off from it being my choice and thought that everything that happened to us was for a reason. It's the same reason why I told you to have a nice trip. What was done was done, and I thought you had made up your mind about us."

Jackie just watched him as he unleashed on her. She had only seen him like this a few times, but it was never about their relationship issues. He always clammed up when they talked about their relationship and said as little as possible. Now it seemed as if he wasn't going to shut up.

"Here's the thing Jackie. I'm always looking for a "sign" to find the easy way out. Back then during the ultimatum, I knew exactly what I wanted but didn't want to admit anything because I knew if it all went to shit then I couldn't live with that. Hell, when Sam's husband showed up, I still looked for a sign to make the decision for me and I knew exactly what I wanted then too."

Hyde huffed as he paced in front of Jackie's bed. He didn't know that once he started talking he wouldn't be able to stop himself. He must have broken his filter by forcing this kind of initiation. He noticed Jackie was staring at him, her eyes filled with uncertainty and yearning for him to continue. There was no turning back now.

"Today, when all the memories came back to me, I found the sign I've been searching for all this time, and I'd be the stupidest person in the world to turn my back on it now."

Jackie felt like her heart was going to break through her sternum. She held her hand to her chest, feeling the organ pump blood rapidly through her body, preparing herself for his next words.

"I don't understand what you are trying to say, Steven."

Hyde sighed and slid his glasses off his face. He stared into her eyes for another moment, remembering his memory of her that his subconscious had clung to for so long.

"What I'm trying to say is… let's get married."

* * *

**AN2: **I know, I know. I'm evil for leaving it there, but I don't think I've given you guys a very good cliffhanger since Chapter 1. Leave a review letting me know what you thought of this update! 


	12. Ch 12: The Hectic Aftermath

**AN: **I am so, so sorry for this late update. I really have no excuse this time other than I was suffering from extreme lack of motivation. There is one more chapter after this one, so hopefully you guys like how I'm ending this story. I loved each and every review I received for the last chapter, and I'm glad to see you guys are still reading. Hopefully I didn't wait too long with this update.

This chapter was originally going to be all comedy until the end, but my brother was watching Cosmos when I wrote the first bit of this chapter and Carl Sagan's voice brought that angsty out in me just a wee bit. You'll see what I mean.

Review!

* * *

Chapter 12: The Hectic Aftermath 

"What I'm trying to say is… let's get married."

Jackie felt her jaw drop as her eyes zeroed in on him. Her mind was an empty shell causing her to suddenly forget how to speak.

Hyde waited for a moment for Jackie to say something. She was just standing there, staring at him. This wasn't exactly how he pictured this moment. He always imagined that Jackie would flip out and shriek as she hopped across the room until she inevitably jumped on him. Now, she looked like she had seen a ghost.

"Uh…so…"

"Okay!" Jackie suddenly said, blinking a few times as she overcame the excitement of finally being able to speak again.

Hyde's words caught in his throat. The core of his chest warmed his body. Even though it was the answer he wanted to hear, it was still surprising.

"Okay?" Hyde felt himself ask.

Jackie blinked a few more times, coming down from her initial shock as reality settled in. She beamed a smile and floated to him. Once she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his waist not being able to contain her happiness. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Hyde cupped Jackie's face in his hands, kissing her lips sweetly. He felt her sigh contently in his hands, and at that moment he was positive that he had never been happier.

As soon as Hyde pulled away from the kiss, a sharp pain shot through his left shin. He keeled over onto the end of Jackie's bed, holding his throbbing leg with his hand.

"What the hell, Jackie?"

Jackie plopped her hands on her hips, wagging a scolding finger at him. "That's what you get for not realizing sooner just how in love with me you are!"

Hyde stared up at her, confused about what to do next. Was this good or bad? He couldn't tell which. Before he could begin to decide, Jackie smiled down at him again and clapped with glee. "Oh, I'm just so happy! My Puddin' Pop finally proposed."

Jackie jumped on top of Hyde, kissing him up and down his neck. She made her way to his mouth, sealing off any words that Hyde could utter. He really didn't mind her bipolar reaction at the moment though. As soon as he felt Jackie's hips roll on top of him, he quickly forgot about the pain shooting through his shin.

"Oh, sexy."

Jackie and Hyde broke apart and looked up to see Fez standing in the doorway. His sneaky grin set uncomfortable chills through the both of them, and they quickly pushed away from each other. Jackie hopped over to her roommate as she clapped her hands in perfect cheerleader fashion.

"Steven proposed to me, Fez. We're going to get married!"

"Oh yay! Now let me see the pretty ring."

Fez waited expectantly as the smile on Jackie's face slowly began to vanish. She turned her head back to her fiancé who was beginning to realize that he might have just screwed himself again.

"Steven…"

"Wait, wait." Hyde held up his hand, thinking as fast as he could to get himself out of this situation. "I'll give you your ring tonight. I just had to do this now, you know?"

Hyde smiled warily at Jackie, watching her reaction carefully so that he can make sure his shins didn't have to meet the toes of her boots again.

"Oh, Steven." Jackie cooed. "You just couldn't wait long enough to tell me once you realized it was what you wanted." Jackie turned back to Fez. "It was really spontaneous and romantic, Fez." Jackie covered her mouth as belated realization hit her. "Oh my god, now this means I'll get two proposals instead of one. Yay! I have to call everyone and tell them the good news."

Jackie kissed Hyde on the cheek and ran out of the room. Hyde's smile fell as he focused his eyes on Fez, who was too oblivious to see Hyde's fist coming at him.

"Ai!" Fez yelped, rubbing his arm where Hyde had frogged him.

"That's for interrupting. I'm pretty sure Jackie was about to show me just how excited my proposal made her."

"Well, you'll just get it when you propose to her again like she said."

Hyde frogged Fez again.

"Ai! What was that one for?"

"That one was for bringing up the ring in the first place."

Fez stomped his foot, shooting an angry scowl his way. "Jackie is a goddess, and if you didn't expect to get her a ring, then you don't deserve her at all!"

"Don't get your panties in a twist. I already have a ring." Hyde walked out of the bedroom noticing Jackie in the kitchen, chatting away to Donna on the phone. He allowed a small grin to tug at the corners of his mouth, knowing that he was the one that put that beautiful smile on her face and the excited laughter in her voice.

"You do?" Fez curiously questioned, following closely behind him. "When did you get it?"

When Fez noticed Hyde wasn't going to answer his question, he immediately assumed what he had suspected all along.

"Oh my god," Fez gasped. "You got her a ring before you went to Chicago."

"Shh, keep your voice done. Jackie's right in there." Hyde turned completely around, leaning in close to Fez while whispering. "Look, don't tell Jackie about the ring, okay? I'll tell her when I'm ready. Right now, I have to go back to the basement to get it. So she won't get suspicious, you're going to say that we're about to go have a circle, okay? She's not going to want to follow us if we say that. She's way too excited right now to want to join. If I'm lucky, she'll want to stay on the phone all day."

"But I don't understand. Why wouldn't you want to spend all day with your new and beautiful fiancé?" Fez asked, shooting admiring eyes at a giggling Jackie who was still chatting away in the kitchen.

Hyde rolled his eyes and pushed on Fez's shoulder to get his attention again. "Because it took me hours just to come up with my first proposal, and Jackie's going to want some overly romantic gesture out of me that I just don't do. So I'm going to have to think of a way give her what she wants but still being me."

"So you think a little circle time is going to help with that?"

"Yeah, some of my best ideas have been in the circle."

Hyde didn't appreciate the disbelieving scowl scorned across Fez's brow. "What?"

Fez folded his arms across his chest, spreading his legs slightly so he could project his usually nonexistent confidence and dominance. "Hyde, you're my good friend, but Jackie is too. I know you love her, but you have a tendency to disappoint her when it comes to these types of things."

Jealousy and irritation chomped tiny holes in the lining of Hyde's stomach. He didn't like Fez's judgmental stare of the criticism he had rarely dished out. Hyde knew he wasn't perfect and Jackie certainly could do a lot better than him, but only he was allowed to have those thoughts. And then Hyde remembered how just weeks before, Jackie was supposedly Fez's girl, making her no longer his anymore. A possessive worm crawled up Hyde's back, making his hair stand on end; his body begging for a physical release instead of the verbal one he smartly chose instead.

"What, you think you could do better than me, Fez? You can actually satisfy her?"

Hyde noticed the tightening of Fez's jaw, and Hyde was positive he had hit the spot he was looking for. The deep brown eyes that had been challenging him, daring him to prove them wrong lost their hardness. Fez quickly looked away.

"Just promise me you won't leave her crying for months again. Then we won't have a problem at all."

Hyde still stood tall over his friend; however he felt his territorial aggression begin to take a downward spiral. "Things are different now, Fez. I'm different now."

Fez slowly nodded his head, sighing as he let his defeated smile be revealed. "I hope you're right."

Jackie gave a little wave when Fez and Hyde announced they were leaving as she continued to chatter away to Donna about the good news.

"And I wasn't even really that upset that he didn't have a ring with him right then, you know? I'm just so happy that he finally did it!"

"That's great, Jackie. I guess getting his memory wasn't such a bad thing for you guys after all. So, did he say anything about Sam?"

Donna's question popped Jackie's little euphoria bubble. She thought back to Hyde's rant about not wanting to take responsibility for his choices. Some things were just meant to be kept between her and Steven.

"Yes, he did a little, but it was all so fast and he pretty much just got right to the proposal." Jackie squealed again. "Donna, Steven and I are getting married!"

"You know, I'm surprised you aren't chewing his head off about not proposing to you with a huge romantic gesture like you've always dreamed of."

Jackie rolled her eyes despite Donna's inability to even see her annoyance. "It was romantic, Donna. It caught me off guard and was very spontaneous."

"It just sounds to me like Hyde half assed it like he always does."

"Oh, what do you know? Eric proposed to you on the dirty water tower!"

"Hey!" Donna exclaimed. "That night was very magical for us." Jackie heard Donna giggle, something that hadn't happened at all since her and Eric's breakup.

"Wait a minute. Did something happen between you and nerd boy?"

"Yeah. When you and Hyde were on your picnic, he came over dressed up real nice and took me to the Vineyard. We had a really good time."

Jackie could practically see the smile on Donna's face from how happy she sounded. She couldn't help but smile a little bit to herself. It seemed like everything was going back to the way it was when they were all happy and in love.

"So are you guys back together?"

"Well, sort of, but sort of not."

"Oh god," Jackie sighed. "This isn't like right after the wedding that didn't happen, is it? Where you guys were together but not calling yourself anything?"

"No, no. We're just going to take things really slow. Get to know each other again. We're like starting all over from our first date."

"Yeah, Steven and I said we were going to take things slow. Guess that didn't really happen."

"Well, has it ever happened that way with you guys?"

Jackie blinked a few times and then smiled widely remembering how intense everything was for them even back during the summer they had hooked up. She let a tiny giggle escape from her mouth. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Oh, Donna, I'm so excited! I'm getting married!"

"Well I'm happy for you, midget. Let's just hope that Hyde doesn't somehow find a way to mess this up."

* * *

"Oh god, I totally just messed this up." Hyde exclaimed and he stomped back into the basement from his bedroom where Eric, Fez, and Kelso were waiting for him to start a circle.

"What did you do this time?" Eric asked as he lit some incense and placed the stick in the center.

"I can't find the ring I got for Jackie." Hyde said as he covered his face with his hand, sighing in defeat. "I looked all over that god damn room too."

Kelso jumped back and held out his long arms in panic. "Wait, did you look in the air conditioning vent by your bed?"

"No, why would I put a ring in there?"

Kelso relaxed in relief, hardly attempting to mask his guilt subtly. "No reason."

Hyde shook his head. "Even though I know you hid something in there now, I don't even care because I have a much bigger problem now."

"Yes," Fez nodded. "Your romantic picnic and thoughtful shoebox are going to mean nothing now. Jackie doesn't like it when she's expecting a present and doesn't get it."

"Wait a second," Eric interrupted and pointed across the circular table at Hyde. "You gave Jackie a shoebox?"

"Yes, it was filled with all of the notes and pictures Hyde kept of Jackie's over the years." Fez added. "Our friend Hyde is very romantic when he wants to be. Like this one time Jackie said he…Ai!"

Hyde brought back his fist that he had just used to punch Fez with to rest in his lap again. "Do you think you can keep your mouth shut for a few minutes and try not to make look like a girl?"

Fez frowned at him, clearly offended by his accusation. "I don't see what your problem is. I'm just trying to show everyone that you're the sensitive man that I always knew you were."

"Yeah, Hyde." Eric butted in. "We already know Jackie has you whipped anyways. That's old news. Now onto bigger and better things such as my date with Donna last night."

"Alright" Kelso shouted. "Did you score with her?"

"No…"

"Well what's the fun in telling us your date if you didn't do it with her?"

"Yeah, Forman." Hyde smirked. "You call me whipped. At least I got somewhere with Jackie last night, and it was good." Hyde grinned to himself at the memory.

"Well you won't be getting any more from Jackie any time soon when she finds out you lost her ring." Kelso snickered. He began rubbing his chest. "Yep, she'll just have to come back to me for all of her physical needs."

Hyde's fist violently came in contact with Kelso's upper arm, causing him to yelp out in pain.

"Kelso's right though." Eric nodded his head. "Jackie is never going to forgive you after this."

"I know!" Fez exclaimed. "Just think of the last time you remember seeing the ring."

Hyde thought for a few moments, each second that passed by his frown dropped further. "Humph, I can't seem to remember at all. I thought I had this memory thing back!"

"You are so screwed!" Kelso laughed and pointed.

"I know, okay? Just none of you tell Jackie about this."

"Tell me, what?"

All four of the boys' heads whipped towards the bottom of the staircase where Jackie and Donna stood with puzzled expressions.

"That Hyde can't find the ring he got you." Fez blurted out.

Hyde was about to turn around and punish Fez in the only way he knew how, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from his wide-eyed fiancé, who might not be his fiancé soon. Their eyes met from across the room, and Hyde could see the pure devastation in them. Jackie quickly turned away and felt her feet carry her up the stairs again, running as far away as she could.

"Crap." Hyde mumbled and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Hey Big D." Kelso winked from over the couch. "So I hear you and Eric are split up again."

"Kelso!" Eric exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. "I'm right here."

"Yeah but this is like your billionth chance with Donna! Learn to share a little, Eric."

"Aren't you and Brooke sort of starting something, Kelso?" Donna asked.

"Yeah." Kelso sat back against the couch and smiled. "You know I think Brooke might be the one. Maybe I should ask Brooke to marry me. I'll just make sure not to let Hyde look after the ring."

Hyde shot a glare at Kelso, barely hearing Eric yell, "Burn!" at his expense. He just got up from his chair and marched back in his room to search for a ring that he just knew had to be in there somewhere.

* * *

Jackie sniffled as she sat on the dusty counter of what used to be the Foto Hut. No one had bought the tiny shop yet and Jackie would come here a lot to be alone. Throughout the day she had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions, but for the most part she had been beyond happy. It was definitely the best she had felt in a very long time. However, despite all the amazing things that had happened that assured her she would be happy forever, she was once again sitting in the looming darkness disappointed.

It wasn't really the ring that was getting her upset. As materialistic as she still was, Jackie realized that it was more important that Hyde actually proposed in the first place. She had dreamt of many different places and ways that he would finally pop the question to her, but none of that even crossed her mind when it actually happened. All she could think of were his words and that beat any fantasy she ever had. Even though the ring wasn't the most important thing, it still hurt her to no end that he could just so carelessly lose it. Was that how much she really meant to him?

Jackie wiped her eyes as she heard the jingling of keys from the other side of the door. She knew it had to be Hyde because he was the only person in their entire little town that had keys to this place.

Jackie noticed that he didn't seem too surprised to see her there despite the fact that from what she knew, he had no idea she even came here. He closed the door behind him, leaning against the door as he stared at her.

"I didn't know you came here." He finally said after a long, testing silence. "How did you get in without a key?"

"You never locked the window when you closed this place. It just slides right up." Jackie said, looking down at her dangling feet. She felt him approaching her, but she chose to just continue to stare downwards. Her insides were mushy and conflicted, and she knew he would be able to see that if she met his gaze.

"I found the ring." He stated as he stood next to her, leaning against the counter.

"Great." Jackie said sarcastically still staring down, refusing to look at him.

"Look Jackie, I didn't lose the ring on purpose, okay? It just wasn't in the place I remembered putting it last. I did just recover from memory loss, you know."

Jackie folded her arms and looked to the window of the Foto Hut, hoping Hyde would get a good look of the scowl she had on her face. "I'm not going to feel sorry for you anymore, Steven, so don't try and make me."

Hyde sighed and stood in front of Jackie, resting his hand on her knee. He stared at her for a few seconds, hoping his uncovered eyes alone could get her to look at him, but Jackie was just as stubborn as he was. "Look Jackie. I got that ring a while ago and I hid it in my special spot that I always put the things I need to be safe at. When it wasn't there, I panicked. There is nowhere else in my room that I would trust to hide it. I started thinking that maybe Sam found it and threw it away, or possibly someone was…"

"Wait," Jackie stopped him, forgetting about her little "no looking" grudge. "You got the ring before Sam?"

Hyde stood still for a few moments, his nerves nervously tingling from the memories. "Um, yeah. I got it when I went for you in Chicago."

A knife stabbed into Jackie. There was that feeling again that she hated more than anything. Regret. It always snuck up on her at the most inopportune moments just like this one.

"I thought you said you weren't ready to get married yet."

Hyde heard Jackie's voice getting raspy with tears. They were digging at old wounds they had both wished had stayed buried.

"Well after you know, what happened in Chicago, I decided we needed to wait a little longer."

The knife in Jackie's chest twisted against her bones. Old, destructive thoughts that she could have prevented all of this hurt just by telling Michael to go to his own hotel room sprung alive inside of her again. She bowed her head down in shame, feeling the sting of an all too familiar hurt that used to haunt her dreams at night. His rant earlier that day about him being irresponsible and cowardly was a lie. He stayed with Sam because of what she did, and now she knew it for sure.

"Jackie…" Hyde called to her, trying to lift her chin with his cupped hand. She wouldn't budge though. Hyde could feel her body shake with the tiny sobs that she was holding inside of her. "Jackie, I know what you're doing, so stop it. Stop blaming yourself."

"Why should I stop?" She yelled, startlingly the both of them for a second. "You're not the only screw up in this relationship, Steven! I've made mistakes too."

"I've forgiven you for those though, Jackie. Look," Hyde grabbed her hand and held it tightly in his. "We have to put that stuff in the past if we're ever going to make this work again, and I want to make this work. If you hadn't noticed, I wasn't doing so well without you."

Warmth spread throughout Jackie's body, soothing away her self-abuse. That always happened when their bodies were close to each other just like now. His hips were in between her knees, and his face was so close to hers, she could feel his hot breath blow lightly against her cheek when he spoke. They were terrible when it came to this verbal communication kind of thing, but it was moments like these that Jackie knew they were together for a reason larger than the two of them alone. Most people talked about their doubts and fears to get over these problems with their loves, but words weren't a part of their language. Jackie knew exactly what he was trying to tell her as he squeezed her hand that rested in her lap. She knew he got exactly what she was saying when she rested her forehead against his and he closed his eyes. Somewhere along the road, they had lost this connection they had with each other to her insecure persistence and his paranoid cowardliness. Jackie dried her eyes and promised herself that she would make sure neither of them ever slipped away again.

"So where did you end up finding the ring?" Jackie whispered, squeezing his hand once more for reassurance.

"In a notebook I have on my dresser beside my bed."

Hyde chose to leave a few details out for her about what really happened to the ring. He really meant what he said about leaving these things in the past. When he came across it, his memories came back to him much like they did earlier that day. When Sam had left to be with her husband, much to Hyde's own relief, he had pulled the ring out of his secret spot and looked at it for a very long time. He placed it in his journal, not wanting to hide it away from the world or himself. However, the day Jackie had come to him to ask if he was okay with her dating Fez, he threw the ring at his wall, hoping the damn thing would break into pieces. But even his force wasn't strong enough to even leave a scratch. He had stared at its perfection glittering on the floor as it mocked that hopeless feeling he let consume him. Despite the intense self loathing he felt, he still didn't have the heart to hide the ring again. He placed it in his notebook once more, leaving it in the open as a remembrance.

Hyde freed his hand from Jackie's grip and fished in his pocket for the indestructible ring. He could feel her wiggling with excitement against his hips only to stop once he had presented it in front of them.

"Steven," Jackie gasped. "It's beautiful."

Hyde cleared his throat, knowing he needed to say a few words to her. Everything he had come up with while he went searching the town for her always turned out too cheesy and something that Forman would say. It just wasn't him at all. Jackie deserved something real from him.

"Jackie, I've kept this from you for a long time, and who knows, maybe everything that has happened to us was supposed to for a reason. I think I've figured it out now and I think this is what is meant for us. Even if I'm wrong, I want to risk it now."

Hyde slid the ring on her finger, their foreheads still touching as they looked down at her hand. Jackie moved her head slowly to kiss the lips of the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. They were unconventional and far from perfect. Donna and Eric even went as far as to refer to them as a creepy and unnatural couple. That might have been true, but whoever said that that was a bad thing?

* * *

**AN2: **I was going to make this little speech for my last chapter, but that one is insanely happy so I'm going to do it now. I wrote this story for a reason, and it's sort of a dedication to zennies everywhere. Season 8 truly scarred us. How they ended Jackie and Hyde was cruel and unusual and they really made it seem like they never gave a rat's ass about each other. So many of us just choose to deny the seasons existence because it hurt so bad. I myself am guilty of that and even after writing this I'm still guilty of that. But, I wrote this to show that we just can't forget about what happened. As much as we would like to sweep what was done to them under the rug and lose our memories about it, what happened was still important. We are all here reading and writing because of how badly we were betrayed by the writers we thought loved them as much as we do. The idea for this story was the best one I have had to right the wrongs and actually make what happened to them seem important instead of complete shit. 

On a happier note, be expecting an AU fic from me very soon. It doesn't take place in any particular season. It's AU to the extreme when it comes to getting these two together. I think you guys will really enjoy it.


	13. Ch 13: You're My Angel

**AN:** Yay! Here's my last chapter for this story. I'm so happy that I finished this. I've really, really loved writing it and getting the wonderful feedback I've received for it was just awesome.

I'd like to specially thank my reviewers that have been with me from the beginning: sooki28, luvcali76, She'stheDevil, debbie325, pokey, sometimestheycallmejackie, kezztip, and last but certainly not least, elphabachan. And to any of you that have left me reviews for any of my chapters, I thank you as well, especially anonymous reviewer Celest. All of your reviewers have been incredibly encouraging and detailed, just like I like them.

I hope you guys really, really like this. Read and review please. It's the last time you can, you know.

* * *

Chapter 13: You're My Angel 

_4 months later…_

Jackie stared at herself in the mirror. She had always thought she was beautiful and there weren't many women that could hold a candle against her, but at this moment, Jackie was positive she was the most gorgeous woman in the world. Her makeup was done to perfection and she had spent careful hours making sure it was the very best it could be. Fez had come upstairs earlier to help her do her hair which was in a curly ponytail with tiny white flowers on the sides of her head. Her long white gown was even more beautiful than the day she had tried it on when she had declared that it was the most perfect dress for her, better than in her dreams. Today was her special day, her wedding day, and it was going to be more than perfect.

Well, maybe being more than perfect was a bit of an exaggeration. She was having her dream outside wedding, but it wasn't on the beach or in a flowery valley like she had planned so long ago. Instead it was in the Forman and Pinciotti backyards. And then of course there weren't hundreds of people in attendance to awe at her magnificence. Everyone attending was just the gang, their families, and a few acquaintances that had stuck around Point Place for awhile. Her honeymoon wasn't going to be spent in Hawaii or some island she couldn't find on a map, instead she and Hyde were going up to a cabin near the Canadian border that sat on the shoreline of one of their many lakes. No, this wedding wasn't at all how she had pictured it as a little girl who had spent years making sure each tiny detail was just right.

Surprisingly though, Jackie didn't really care so much. There were other things about this wedding that she hadn't anticipated but had made everything better. Michael Kelso had already set something on fire which was quickly put out by Bob and Red. Red then proceeded to chase him around the driveway, yelling obscenities and threatening his typical "foot in the ass". Donna, Brooke, and Kitty had spent all morning getting ready with her, gossiping about their men and other womanly topics that they enjoyed. Kitty also had pulled her aside at one point and given her a beautiful speech that almost made her mascara run from the tiny tears that trickled from the corners of her eyes. She told her about her own wedding day and how she had always seen her and Steven as little mirror images of what she and Red used to be. She promised Jackie that the rest of her life would be just wonderful because she was spending it with the man she loved. Jackie figured that despite her weddings shortcomings, she should be incredibly happy because this wedding had one thing that the previous ones she had made up in her head never did and that was a family to share it with.

Jackie turned her head away from the mirror and looked at the occupants in Laurie's bedroom with her. Kitty had left a little bit ago to make sure the boys were ready and didn't get any food or dirt on their tuxes, so it was just Donna, Brooke, and the newly arrived Fenton with her. Apparently he had tried to hang out with the guys, but was quickly kicked out after one too many of his questionably uncomfortable remarks. He seemed much happier now though as he fussed over Brooke's long curly hair that she was going to wear down with her bridesmaid dress.

"Bouncy." Fenton said with a hum as he played with her auburn curls.

"So are you nervous at all, Jackie?" Brooke asked as she leaned forward on her knees, flashing an excited grin Jackie's way.

"A little." Jackie admitted. Despite how wonderful she knew the physical attributes of this wedding would be, every time she thought of walking down that aisle to Steven, she felt like vomiting a little. She guessed it must have been what people described as cold feet, but if this was cold feet, Jackie wondered what it was both Eric and Donna experience the day before their wedding. Jackie was more than certain that she wanted to go through with this, but she still felt insanely anxious. She was also slightly worried about how her other half was holding up. He wasn't good with formal events, especially when he had to be center of attention. A tiny little voice in the back of her head also kept annoyingly reminding her that it was possible he'd might freak out and not want to go through with this. He never was able to handle pressure very well. He'd always get real jittery and more paranoid than usual. She could just picture him now sitting in the basement, his foot wildly bouncing up and down as he stared at some distant object that he really wasn't even paying attention to. Jackie gulped at the thought. She just hoped that whatever he was feeling, it was the same as her. The past four months she had spent being with Steven had been amazing. Jackie kept trying to reassure herself that he thought they were amazing too. She figured that this was normal though, the sweaty palms and tickling bubbles that danced inside her stomach.

"Fenton," Jackie began as she turned her head his way. "How did Steven look when you were last down there with the guys?"

"Sexy." Fenton smiled, not feeling the slightly disturbed eyes that were staring at him for a few moments. When he finally did and realized that wasn't exactly the answer Jackie was looking for, he cleared his throat and straightened his tie. "He looked okay."

"Did he seem nervous at all?" Jackie asked, her voice hitching from persistence.

"No, not really."

Jackie leaned back in her chair and sighed. Now she wasn't even sure if she liked that answer or not. Maybe she wanted Steven to be just as nervous as she was.

"It's okay, Jackie." Donna reassured from her seat on the bed. "Hyde wants to do this."

Jackie gave a not so convincing snort as she tried to play off like she didn't ever doubt anything. "Of course he wants to do this, Donna. He's marrying me! I'm quite a catch." Jackie darted her eyes around, looking at all three of them at once. "Right?"

"Of course you are." Brooke replied, smiling again. "Hyde is more than lucky to be with you and I'm sure he knows that."

"Thank you, Brooke." Jackie nodded sincerely. "Michael is lucky to have you too. And I'll be sure to tell you the same thing when you guys get married."

"Well, I don't know about all of that. I mean, Michael is great and he's really starting to mature, well, sort of, but I'm not sure I'm ready to get married yet."

"Well, I hope that one day you guys do because you're really great for Michael."

A tiny blush started to build in Brooke's cheeks. "Well, thank you Jackie."

Just then, a tiny knock sounded at the door. "Are you lovely ladies decent?" Fez asked.

"Yes." All three of them called.

"Damn."

The girls rolled their eyes and Fez entered the room. He had a sly grin on his face as he looked at Jackie. He seemed very proud about something.

"I did what you told me." He announced, and he pulled Hyde's sunglasses out of his jacket pocket. "And trust me, it definitely wasn't easy."

"How did you end up getting these from him?" Donna asked, as she laughed at the rose colored aviators that were being handed to Jackie.

"Oh, Kelso had this brilliant idea to get Hyde back for hitting him in the face with that vase when we went to clean out Jackie's ski cabin a few years ago, so he got Hyde to take his sunglasses off by asking what the tiny writing on the bottom of a Zeppelin record says. Of course Hyde told him there was no writing and took the record to prove it to him. That's when I snatched the glasses and made a run for it."

"Wow," Donna said, amazed by Fez's story. "Kelso thought of that all by himself?"

"Yeah," Fez sighed, his voice ringing dreamily in their ears. "He's really something."

Fenton scoffed from his seat behind Brooke, receiving squinted, angry eyes from Fez.

"Do you have something to say to me, Fenton?"

Fenton crossed his arms and puckered his lips, getting ready to lash out at the foreigner, but the pleading eyes he had intercepted from Jackie stopped him from proceeding.

"No." Fenton sighed as he stood up from his seat, obviously forcing himself to restrain an insulting remark from being let loose. "Do you think we could talk alone for a second?"

Fez's angry stare soften to perplexed confusion. He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as he contemplated Fenton's request. After a few silent seconds, he stiffened up again, continuing to be on the defensive.

"No. Whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of them." Fez gestured to all of the nervous ladies in the room.

Fenton rolled his eyes, hesitating for a moment, frustrated that Fez was making him do this in front of everyone.

"I just want to call a truce for Jackie's wedding." Fenton looked to the other side of the room, his mouth still in a sour pucker. "After that, we can go back to hating each other again."

Fez looked downwards with his eyes still holding his head high. He carefully considered Fenton's offer, realizing quickly that they had to do this for Jackie's sake.

"Okay." Fez reluctantly agreed. "But only for our beautiful Jackie on her special day."

"Of course."

Jackie relaxed, smiling at the two men and the small sacrifice they were making just for her. The wedding of her dreams be damned. What was going to make this wedding perfect were the wonderful people that loved her.

* * *

Hyde paced in his spot in front of the white lawn chairs that were starting to fill with people attending the wedding. When he woke up that morning from a long night of partying with his friends for his bachelor party (which he made sure that Kelso didn't invite any strippers. It was way too early for something like that between he and Jackie, and he respected that needed space.) he didn't feel nervous really. It felt like any normal morning should when recovering from a hangover. The other guys had crashed in the basement that night so they were all together to get ready for the wedding. As he put his tux on, he still didn't feel nervous. It was just like getting ready for any other formal gathering that Jackie forced him into. He didn't even really feel nervous as he recited his vows from memory. Jackie thought it would be much more romantic if they professed their love for each other their own way, which somewhat caught Hyde off guard. Jackie had been all about keeping things very traditional while planning their wedding (except for it being outside). 

No, Hyde hadn't been nervous at all. But right now, he was. The more people that started to sit down, the more real the whole situation became for Hyde. There were flowers everywhere, filling Hyde's nose with their powdery scent. The white painted arch way that he and Jackie were to be married on stood tall and intimidating above him. The blinding white paint beat the sun's rays down on top of him, and the Wisconsin summer afternoon felt a lot hotter than usual. He kept thinking over and over in his mind about the vows he had to recite in front of all of these judgmental people. If it were up to him, he would have gotten hitched.

But, it wasn't up to him. It was up to Jackie, and if it were really up to him, he wouldn't go through with that plan anyways. This whole day was about her and making her happy, and Hyde would hate to ruin it all for her. She had been dreaming of this day since she was a little girl. Sometimes when she would spend the night with him on his cot in the basement, she'd talk about this day as he tried to fall asleep. It was the only time of the day he would let her because he was just too tired to fight with her about it. After a while, he kind of began to look forward to her descriptions. The way her voice would stay in a steady tempo, bouncing in his ears at a slow and lethargic pace. Her promises of forever soothed his heart and his body, rocking him into a pleasant slumber filled with dreams where his insecurities and pessimistic reasoning didn't plague his thoughts.

This day was momentous for both of them, and Hyde didn't want to screw anything up. However, everything happening all at once was really making it hard for him. Eric bothering him earlier about all those people staring at him as he professed his love for Jackie, Fez taking his sunglasses so he couldn't even pretend to be aloof, and then there was Red staring at him from across the lawn. His look was penetrating and deadly to Hyde's already shocked nerves. Hyde made eye contact with his surrogate father and quickly noticed Red's gesture asking him to follow him into the garage.

Once Hyde entered the drafty enclosure, he noticed the look in Red's eye that told him they were about to have a serious conversation. They hadn't had too many of these, only when he talked to him about getting arrested for possession which didn't turn out well at all and on his eighteenth birthday when he was positive he was going to get kicked out of the house. The tickling sensation in his fingers and toes heightened and he could feel his blood pressure rising.

"How are you feeling?" Red asked, his own exterior very calm and collected.

"Nervous as hell." Hyde answered honestly, which got a little chuckle out of Red. However, his laughing features quickly hardened again as began his speech.

"I've been thinking a lot about what Eric said a while ago, about how Kitty and I never talked to you when you married Sam. At the time I thought that it was the best for the both of us that I didn't give you my opinion about your marriage. But now I see that maybe that wasn't the best decision. I see you as a son, Steven, and I should have treated you like a son then."

Red closed the large distance between then, resting his hand on Hyde's shoulder.

"And just like I see you as a son, I see Jackie like a daughter. Both of you needed fathers in your lives and you came to me to be that person. I think I've done a pretty good job for the most part, but I'm not proud of turning my back on you two when you needed guidance the most. Well, I'm not turning my back on either of you again. I want you to know that."

Hyde nodded, the sentimentality of the situation pulling at the corners of his heart. He was hoping this whole thing would be over soon. Lucky for him, it was Red talking to him about this instead of Kitty. She was guaranteed to be a huge mess during this conversation.

"You're going to have to meet me halfway though, Steven. You can't run away from that girl again. You have put her through enough already, and you should be very serious about the decision you're about to make."

For the first time during the whole speech, Hyde looked up and into Red's eyes, feeling more determined than ever to prove just how much he had changed to the people who cared about him. He didn't give a damn what anyone in this world though except for them. "I'm very serious about this, Red. I love her."

Red patted Hyde on the shoulder, smiling at him before he turned around to leave the garage. Hyde stood there for a few moments as he pulled everything that had just happened into perspective. He straightened up and marched out of the garage, ready to prove to the world that he loved Jackie Burkhart.

* * *

Everyone stared in awe and fascination as Jackie made her way down the aisle, holding Bob Pinciotti's arm. She was certainly the most beautiful bride anyone of them had ever seen. A shudder felt by everyone in attendance washed through as Bob announced he was the one to give the bride away and Jackie made her way up the tiny steps to stand next to Hyde in front of Pastor Dave. 

"We are gathered here today to witness the holy union between Jackie Beulah Burkhart and Steven J. Hyde." Pastor Dave announced his voice whimsical with the soft wind of the summer afternoon. "They have decided to write their own vows to express their love for one another. Jackie…"

Everyone patiently waited as Jackie stared up at Hyde, her eyes dancing as he stared at her and her soul burning as she took in the moment she was living in just for a second. He gave her an encouraging smile and she soon began her speech.

"Steven, you have always been there for me when I needed you the most. Even when we weren't together, I always felt safe with you and you never failed to brighten even the darkest moments. We grew up together and fell in love, and being with you is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and that's why it hurt so much when I thought I had lost you forever a year ago."

Hyde reached across and held Jackie's hands in his, giving her palms a slight squeeze. Jackie's heart filled with courage once more and she continued.

"But despite everything we've been through, we still found a way to make it to each other again. You were right when you said that everything that happened between us was meant to be. I think our love is the rarest and most special kind there is, and I want to spend forever living in it with you."

Little sniffles erupted through the silence as Kitty Forman cried in her handkerchief she had conveniently handy. Some of the other attendees were also seen dabbing their eyes including Fez and Donna who stood up front. Watery pools of tears had built in the corners of Jackie's eyes but they still hadn't spilled over onto her perfect cheeks. Hyde waited for a moment as he gathered his thoughts again, feeling his heart beat wildly in his chest. He took a deep breath and started speaking, his voice shaking. Everyone subconsciously leaned forward a little, curious about what the notorious bad ass had to say about his love for the tiny, bossy brunette princess.

"When I woke up in the hospital after my accident, all I could feel was total darkness. But then a vision came to me forcing me back into this world. At first the image was blurry, and all I could see was a beautiful woman who I assumed was an angel. In that week that I couldn't remember two years of my life, the image became clearer and I soon realized that it was a memory of you looking exactly like this. But I wasn't wrong with my first assumption. You are my angel, Jackie, and you saved me from myself."

Hyde let go of one of Jackie's hands to wipe the tears that now streamed down her face with his thumb. She closed her eyes, smiling under his touch.

"The rings." Pastor Dave called to Eric who stepped forward to give Jackie and Hyde their rings to put on each other's fingers.

"Do you, Jackie Beulah Burkhart, take Steven J. Hyde to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Jackie said, barely above a whisper. Her eyes were completely transfixed on the man standing in front of her.

"Do you Steven J. Hyde, take Jackie Beulah Burkhart to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sadness and in joy, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Hyde answered, his blue eyes never leaving Jackie's mismatched ones.

Pastor Dave instructed them to put the rings on their fingers. After they had both had slipped the gold bands on, Pastor Dave said the words that they had both been anticipating.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Hyde cupped Jackie's face in his hands, his lips delicately brushing against hers as he captured them in a soft kiss. He felt Jackie sighed happily beneath him, and he deepened the kiss as he wrapped his lips around hers once more. Everyone was cheering and clapping around them, but they couldn't hear a thing. To them, they were the only two people in the entire universe, loving each other unconditionally.

* * *

Donna held the bouquet that she had just caught tightly in her fingers. Sure she had to push some scrawny girls out of the way to get it, something she always used to think was so stupid of women to do at weddings, but she was bigger than most of them anyways which made the task hardly a struggle. Happiness pumped through her veins and she clutched the flowers closely to her, silently hoping that maybe the myth of the bouquet was true. She and Eric had come a long way in the past 4 months. She let go of her need to always be right, and he allowed himself to be a little more confident in their relationship. They talked about the past a lot but what they mainly focused on was their future. College was only a few weeks away, and they were going to be living together soon. Really living together this time too. They were a team again, working together instead of leaving the other in their footsteps. 

Donna felt a familiar hand touch her on her shoulder and she turned around to come face to face with the man that she was just thinking of. She smiled giddily at him and showed him the bouquet.

"I saw you push some of those girls down. I haven't seen you throw an elbow like that since you were on the boy's JV wrestling team."

Donna felt a warm blush rush into her cheeks as she looked downward and slightly giggled from her boyfriend's teasing. "I just really wanted to catch it." She answered, flipping her hair a little over her shoulder.

Eric smiled back at her, understanding what she meant. He grabbed her hand in his and leaned in to kiss her. They stood there for a moment, just kissing each other and enjoying the happiness that they had felt during this entire day filled with love.

"Dance with me." Eric whispered once they had broken apart. Donna nodded and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor where they discovered something they thought they would never see.

Right in the middle of the floor was Fenton and Fez getting their groove thing on together. Donna covered her mouth, laughing at the sight.

"I think they're both really drunk." Eric explained, feeling a little disturbed by the sight.

"Let's hope so." Donna agreed, as she dragged Eric off in the opposite direction of the dancing odd couple.

Hidden amongst the crowd was the bride and groom themselves. They held each other close as they danced to a song that was a little too fast for slow dancing. They didn't give a damn though. They were having fun just talking and kissing each other spontaneously from the joy that kept bubbling up inside of them. However, both of them were getting a little restless being at the reception. They just wanted to go up to their cabin and make love to each all night long for the first time as husband and wife.

Hyde kissed Jackie's exposed neck, sucking and nibbling at her pulse point, trying to get his message across to her.

"Steven," she whimpered. She tried to push him away but the muscles in her arms just didn't seem to have the energy to do so.

"Let's get out of here, Jackie." Hyde whispered into her neck, his hot breath sending chills up and down Jackie's spine.

"We can't just ditch our own wedding reception, Steven." She tried to reason more to herself than to him.

"Why not? Nobody will even miss us. Besides, I think Fenton and Fez will have everyone's attention for a while."

"That or they'll be scared away and leave early themselves."

"Both ways work in our favor, doll." Hyde said and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

"Steven," Jackie began, and Hyde noticed that little shine in her eyes that always appeared whenever she wanted to talk sweet with him. "Am I really your angel?"

Hyde rolled his eyes, but he just didn't have the heart to pretend that he hadn't said something sweet and Forman-y to her. "Yes doll, you're my angel."

Hyde watched carefully as Jackie's shy smile quickly changed into his favorite look of hers. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, her sex kitten eyes causing his body to ripple with very unholy sensations on this holy day of theirs.

"Alright, let's go."

The two snuck off without anyone noticing, giggling and whispering dirty things to each other.

In a world full of unforeseen obstacles and debilitating confusion, people feel as though they are nowhere but lost. It isn't until they find their other half when they realize why this life is worth living.

**The End**

* * *

**AN2: **That's it folks! I'm really going to miss this story, but I'm super excited about my new AU fic that I should be posting within a few days. All of you should check it out. It's going to be called Sixteen Candles, for very obvious reasons. : ) 


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